Vessel
by Sarakaroline8
Summary: Sherry and Dwight have been in Sanctuary for nearly two and a half years. What will happen when another community called Alexandria decides not to bow down to Negan's jurisdiction? Will Negan's tyranny finally end? THIRD INSTALLMENT of Many Hearts to Tread series.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – Hello! Welcome to the THIRD INSTALLMENT of Many Hearts to Tread series! I repeat! This is a third installment of a series! So if you would like, you can read books 1 (Many Hearts to Tread) & 2 (Nothing Else Matters) and not get lost! Yay!**

 **There is an 17 month gap in between books 2 & 3\. And I'll say that gap starts when Kevin comes to Sanctuary. Soo that pushes the apocalypse to being… One month shy of three years.**

 **Alright! Let's get this thing started!**

 **There are some moments that happen in between when Chapter 16 ended with Rick's group. We'll discover why Rick and the gang have a strong hatred for the Saviors. I mean, it's not that difficult to hate them but their reasons are valid!**

Chapter 1

The spring air in the morning came with a chill as fog settled upon the town of Sanctuary. Sherry could hear the birds chirping in the distance while every surface was covered from the light rain that stopped only moments before. It was quiet and serene for once. Most of the Saviors besides that guards at the gate were asleep. Sherry sat on the front porch swing that was to the right of their front door. Every so often, she would occasionally glance towards the opposite side of the porch and think of Amanda. It had almost been two years since those events transpired. Not a day went by that Sherry wasn't haunted by it. It was because of those occurrences that she became the person that she currently was.

Sherry watched as some people started leaving their homes ready to start the day with the various jobs that they had. The calm was slowly starting to drift away as she went back to reading her book. In the duration that she lived in Sanctuary, she had a lot of downtime. Most of the books in Sanctuary's library had been read by her so she had to move to the novels that Dean would highly approve of. She finally decided to read _The Odyssey_ by Homer even though she had to read it before for a college course. Incredibly bored by the source material then, she was surprised how engrossed she became in the book when she started reading it the night before. She read on the front porch throughout the night with a flashlight in hand and bundled herself up in a giant coat with a blanket over her legs and pillow behind her back.

"Have you heard of Joseph Campbell?" She heard someone say. Sherry glanced up from her book to see Kevin walking towards her with a smile on his face. He walked with a slight limp while favoring his left side. Since she met him, he was always the kind of person that appeared untouched by their new world. The only flaw in his appearance was the tape in the middle of his glasses to hold them together. He insisted on wearing appropriate work attire for when he was at the infirmary while attending to any Saviors that had mental issues. He had a lot of patients.

She shook her head at his question as he stood on the porch. He kept a distance from her so she would feel comfortable and so he wouldn't be accused of messing with Negan's 'property.' The result of such an accusation was unpleasant. "No," she responded quietly. The voice that belonged to her years ago had not yet returned. Kevin always said how much progress she made but she didn't feel like she made any. Sherry constantly felt as if she was in a funk. A small part of her hoped that she would return. However, she was very doubtful if that day would ever come.

"Joseph Campbell wrote _The Hero with a Thousand Faces,"_ Kevin began. "Fascinating book. It explains the structure that many epic tales have used such as _The Odyssey._ He even makes an in-depth graph that explains the hero's journey. Care to hear?"

Sherry shrugged a reply as he knew he was already enthusiastic about the subject. Kevin leaned against the railing and thought to himself while trying to think of the order as if he memorized it by heart a long time ago. "Let's see… there's the call to adventure…the threshold…challenges and temptations…then there is abyss that involves both a death and a rebirth. The last three are transformation, atonement and return. Joseph Campbell uses clear examples from the book that you hold in your hands. You can also see that journey in many other novels and in cinema. But that journey reverberates through all of us too," Kevin explained then folded his arms. "So where do _you_ think you are in that journey?"

Sherry shrugged again but humored him as she thought about it. "Challenges sounds accurate. Maybe that includes death…" Sherry answered with the small amount of humor that she had left.

"The abyss?" Kevin said with a smile and nodded his head as if her response was more telling than she thought it was. "Abyss isn't just death. The rebirth comes soon after. Maybe your rebirth is just around the bend."

Sherry eyed him with subtle warning. He knew very well how much Sherry felt about hoping for a better life. The odds of there being one was nonexistent therefore she didn't dwell on it too much because it caused her too much pain.

Kevin smiled to himself and stepped down on one of the porch stairs. "Just thinking out loud, I suppose." He lingered awhile longer as he looked towards the house and then to Dwight's home next door as if trying to act as if he was admiring the sky.

"Yolanda's not here," Sherry clarified knowing exactly who he was looking for. "She's at the hospital already."

He blushed slightly and gave Sherry a nod. "Brilliant. Thank you, Sherry," he said and started walking away and towards the infirmary. "I will see you later today for your session."

Sherry rolled her eyes and focused on her book once more. She started to think about what Kevin said as he recanted Joseph Campbell's book to her. She visibly shook her head and told herself that she didn't live in an storybook and that waiting for a rebirth would prove to be futile.

Noises appeared in the house as some of the girls began to wake up. Much to Sherry's dismay and confusion, he added more wives to his collection. She didn't know why she assumed the he would have stopped adding more when they began sleeping together. But the assumption she made was wrong. She supposed that he would be satisfied with the five. Then again, Negan usually did things that only made since to him.

Sherry became the leader of sorts since Negan decided polygamy was an okay thing to do. She protected and comforted them when they needed it; in more ways than they even knew. One thing Sherry kept from them was that Negan had plans to procreate with his women for children. However, he wanted Sherry to be the first one to have his firstborn. The only person who knew that her chances of having a baby in the first place was Dwight. She didn't intend to tell Negan about her condition as she was proving to be birth control for all of the women as a whole. He was hell bent on the idea and Sherry hoped that Negan would be patient about it before he gave up and moved on. The thought of any of them sharing a child with him made her visibly shudder. He didn't deserve any kind of offspring.

The door opened to the house as Megan walked outside to greet Sherry. Megan beamed towards her with freckle-covered face and folded her arms immediately. "Aren't you freezing?" She asked Sherry.

"You get used to it after a while," Sherry consoled as she folded her legs to make room on the porch swing. Megan sat beside her as the swing swayed back and forth. Sherry went back to reading as Megan appeared to be lost in thought and stared at the street while some Saviors were going about their business.

"Amber still isn't home from last night," Megan said ominously. She was speaking of Negan's newest addition who already had a boyfriend previously and also resided in Sanctuary.

Sherry drew a sharp breath then groaned at the news. "I've told her hundreds of times that she needs to be careful," Sherry grimaced.

"She thinks that she won't get caught," Megan reasoned gravely. "I think when you yelled at her the other day that it only made her want to prove a point that she is smarter than you."

"Well, when you're being stupid about something, it's easy to justify yourself," Sherry countered and thought for a moment. "I'm not her mom. If she wants to learn the hard way, then she can."

Megan raised an eyebrow with the way Sherry said it. "You sound so indifferent about it," she asserted.

Sherry placed her book down on her lap and closed it shut. She looked at the cover while trying to think of the right words. "No," Sherry started. "I don't like telling others what to do. That's all it is. I did what I can. I put up the flag of cation and like an adult, she made her own decision. She knows what will happen if Negan finds out. That's all I can do."

"Negan _will_ find out," Megan said worriedly.

Sherry placed a hand over Megan's in comfort. "Well, if he does, I can try my best to make him go easy on her," Sherry assured.

Megan seemed satisfied with her response and looked around Sanctuary as Sherry tried to find her place in the book again. Most of Negan's army was gone on business in the surrounding areas while trying to scout or collect taxes from neighboring safe havens.

"Is Dwight gone?" Megan prodded as she tried to sound absentminded.

Sherry's breath was cut short upon hearing his name as Megan realized that she asked the wrong question. Sherry hardly spoke of Dwight and preferred it that way. It made things easier for her if she didn't think about Dwight.

"I was only wondering if Takuya was with him," Megan added shyly.

Sherry smiled and decided to get over herself while thinking about the last time she saw the duo. Takuya was almost always by Dwight's side. "I think they left Sanctuary sometime last night. Scouting for more people," Sherry revealed. Megan's crush on Takuya was more than obvious. And like Megan, Takuya reciprocated the feelings. The interest was there since the first day that they laid eyes on each other. However, with Negan in the way and what happened to Dwight and Sherry, the risk of delving into something was far too great.

"Kevin was here earlier and asked about Yolie's whereabouts," Sherry told. "I just think it's funny that two people approached me within twenty minutes time and asked where their lover was."

Megan's face reddened as she giggle quietly. "He's not my lover… He could be though," she said the last part distantly.

"Maybe," Sherry said as she admired Megan's hope that still remained for the future. She didn't wish to be the bearer of bad news and kept silent on the matter when it came to her own doubts. Perhaps there was a better life out there for them. And if it came, Sherry would welcome it with open arms. But she didn't want to anticipate it anytime soon. Instead she buried herself in her book once more as she read about Odysseus. _He_ would find his way home. Even if she didn't, she was glad to read that at least someone would.

…

The morning sun rose higher as the fog began to subside. Dwight noticed the members of his group as they all prepared their things as quietly and covertly as possible. They were closing in on two men that Dwight had on good authority belonged to neighboring community that that Negan wanted to take control over. Dwight admired the new group of survivors. All that he knew about them was that they allied with Hilltop because the community was finally fed up with Negan's tyranny. From Dwight's understanding, Hilltop asked Alexandria to do Sanctuary's work of protecting them. Not from walkers but the Saviors themselves. Negan felt that they overstepped their boundaries as Hilltop was already claimed an ally to the Saviors and sent some of his men to threaten Alexandria. Only one Savior returned.

Negan felt that they needed some leverage to get into Alexandria for another tactic and decided to get Dwight on the job. Dwight was hoping that he would stay clear of the group and that other soldiers would be assigned to take care of them. He didn't wish to overtake the new group. However with him currently being the sole person in charge of infiltrating Alexandria, he had to think of tactics to make sure his work looked admirable to Negan. Even though he hated to impress the man, Dwight surmised there wasn't much in his life that he enjoyed anymore. He hated mostly everything.

Dwight grabbed his crossbow that hung across his shoulder and laid it in front of him while retrieving wax from his jacket pocket for the cables. He began rubbing the wax on his crossbow and looked up to Seth that stood nearby.

Seth cleared his threat and knelt by Dwight to give him the intel that he needed. "They are walking around the town. Looking for supplies, I suppose," he divulged.

"What do they look like?" Dwight asked as he took two fingers to the cables to rub the wax into them.

"One's fat with a mullet and the other is a solid ginger," Seth explained. "Looks like he could put up a good fight."

Dwight tightened his lips in a thin line knowing which one to take out and which one to keep alive for leverage. "And we know for sure that they are alone?" He questioned further.

Seth nodded. "We saw them leave Alexandria bright and early. No scouts following them for security. It was just them."

Dwight nodded as he put the wax back into his pocket and produced oil to lubricate the flight rail on his crossbow. "Okay," he muttered. "We'll leave as soon as everyone is ready."

Seth nodded again in affirmation and left to gather the Saviors in order to leave as soon as they could. Dwight was able to concentrate on preparing his bow in peace but could sense someone staring at him in the distance. He gazed around to see a group of men all staring in his direction while trying to goad the youngest one to step towards him.

Shaking his head, Dwight focused on something else while almost embarrassed by the unwanted attention that he received. He had a giant scar on the left side of his face which was supposed to symbolize a harsh punishment. Instead, it made some Saviors idolize and fear him. It wasn't just his outward appearance but also the things that he _did_ in the name of Negan. Many men strived to be more like him when he would rather being someone else for a change.

The eighteen year old boy in the group was new to the Saviors ranks as he finally gave into peer pressure and timidly walked towards Dwight while Dwight tried not to pay attention to him. The boy then stood beside him and lingered for what Dwight considered too long.

Looking up at the kid while slightly annoyed, Dwight shrugged in exasperation as the kid took a step back while reading Dwight's evident agitation. "Do you need anything?" Dwight gruffed.

"I just…" the boy began with a shaky voice. "Some of my old group over there were told about you. They asked me to find out if any of the stories are true."

Dwight shook his head annoyed that some were talking about him. He didn't say anything as he went back to working on his crossbow while paying the boy no more heed.

"How many people have you really killed?" The boy asked with mild fascination.

Dwight grinded his teeth together. The teenager was easily getting on his nerves.

"Because they said it's in the two hundreds," the boy continued.

With his patience finally run dry, Dwight glared at him with a groan and pointed in the distance. "For fuck's sake, go do something useful with yourself and leave me the fuck alone," he said in a low threatening voice.

That did enough to scare the kid away as he practically stumbled out of sight. Dwight finished cleaning his crossbow and slung it on his back once more. He rose from his spot as all the men waited for him to give the signal to fall out. With one quick nod from Dwight, they all started walking towards the downtown area where the two men were last seen. With their weapons in hand, they were all prepared to attack that very minute if they needed to.

Dwight led the way as Seth and Takuya made their way to both sides of him. Takuya gave him a solemn gaze as Dwight knew how he felt about their job. Their stance regarding human life remained the same. Regrettably, they had to ignore it and continue with their tirade.

…

They crept towards the small hardware store where the two Alexandrian's were slowly being surrounded unbeknownst to them. Dwight stopped and signaled the men behind him then pointed his finger in a circular motion to indicate that it was time to encompass the perimeter. Dwight, Seth, and Takuya slowly made their way to a building parallel to the store while Seth quietly opened the door. Dwight and Takuya silently ran in and up the stairs to set up for when the men would come out.

They made it to the second floor as Dwight observed the setting around him. Everything was mostly disheveled in the abandoned space but was optimal for Dwight. He saw an already broken window and walked towards it. He could see the hardware store and observed that he would have proper cover to stay hidden for as long as he needed to.

Seth joined them up the stairs as Dwight glanced towards both him and Takuya. "The men know what to do once I fire, right?" Dwight questioned. He grabbed his crossbow as Takuya handed him a bolt.

Takuya nodded. "It's all ready to go," he informed. Suddenly, they heard a bell ring in the air as Dwight quickly set to take aim but used caution to stay within the shadows. The men lingered near the entrance as the red head engaged the other in a conversation. Dwight could see the somber expression on the red head's face before the man turned around to face mullet man.

It wasn't easy. Parts of killing another human being was numbed in Dwight's mind but the act still didn't sit well with him. He hoped he would always feel some sense of remorse; no matter how difficult it was to feel the guilt afterwards.

Dwight lifted his crossbow squarely to the back of the man's skull and took a deep breath. He tried to remain dispassionate for several moments to get the job done. Negan wanted to get in Alexandria. For the sake of his group members, and for Sherry, he had to do his best to follow orders.

"I'm sorry," Takuya whispered as he saw Dwight hesitate.

"Me too," Dwight answered but was already in the mode he needed to be to get the job done. He pressed down on his crossbow's trigger as the bolt shot through the air. He didn't miss.

…

"Shit, he's bolting!" Dwight stressed as he ran towards the stairs. The red head had previously fallen to the ground as the other man quickly grabbed his comrade's gun and started running away for dear life. He ran in a zigzag formation as Dwight urged Takuya to hand him another bolt but by the time he loaded it, the man was too far. In frustration, he shot out of anger and unsurprisingly didn't make contact.

The Saviors chased the man as he started running back towards Alexandria. Dwight took three stairs at a time and started sprinting after the man who was quickly becoming winded. The man didn't turn around to try and use the machine gun in his possession. Dwight wondered to himself how he survived as long as he did.

Dwight easily passed several Saviors that were gaining on the man as he gave credit to his longer legs and brief track & field experience during high school. He was closing in on the man fast.

Once he got close enough, he leapt forward and tackled the man to the ground. The gun that he carried was tossed forward five feet as he tried to scurry towards it but was soon ensnared by the enemy. He had nowhere to go. Dwight got off of him and retrieved the weapon as the man got on his knees and started to get emotional.

"He was a good man!" The man exclaimed as his lowered and bottom lip quivered. "He was my friend!"

Dwight stared at the man with brief sympathy but avoided it before his own emotions got out of hand. "Don't take this personally," he encouraged sarcastically. With that, he took the butt of the rifle and slammed it against the man's forehead. The one hit sent the man falling to the ground in one loud heap.

"Pick him up," Dwight commander the Saviors around him. "Let's drop him off at Alexandria."

…

They stopped right at the front gate of Alexandria. The man started waking up and realized where he was much to his horror as he knew the enemy was at his doorstep.

Dwight held him up by the collar and looked at him somewhat perplexed. "Where the fuck is everyone? No guards awake or anything? Is that normal?" He asked the man.

The man didn't respond and kept his head down. Dwight snapped his fingers impatiently in the man's face. "Hey! I'm talking to you? Where is everybody?" He repeated his question.

"It's early," the man replied quietly. "They probably are all still asleep."

Some of the Saviors snickered at his answer. "Lazy fucks," one of the men commented.

Dwight still had the gun in his hand and stood up straight while cocking the rifle. "Well, I'm sure they won't mind this," he mumbled and held the rifle upwards and pulled the trigger as the regular hum of bullets being extinguished sent tingles throughout his arm. The gun went off as the shells speedily flew out of the rifle.

"Wake up!" Dwight yelled towards the gate and their community. _You're being a real jackass, Dwight,_ he thought.

He waited a bit longer as grabbed the man's collar again. When several more seconds passed, he could hear people stirring on the other side. Suddenly, the tarp was removed from the gate as he stood face to face with the Alexandrians for the first time.

There were several characters that stood out to Dwight. One in particular had a crossbow that was similar to his own. A man stood in front that looked like the leader and eyed Dwight while clearly enraged. One woman with dreadlocks carried a katana of all weapons. A couple stood in the distance while holding hands with each other while their free palms held guns. Dwight could detect from afar that these people knew how to defend themselves by any means necessary.

The man in charge glared at a man who pulled the tarp away. "You were supposed to be on watch, Spencer!" He reprimanded harshly.

The man named Spencer looked guilty but maintained some justified innocence. "I fell asleep," he admitted as a girl with dark hair shook her head in shame.

The leader walked closer to the gate and spoke up towards Dwight while focusing his anger on him once again. "Who are you and what do you want?" He shouted.

"Doesn't matter who we are," Dwight started. "Just let us in and no one gets hurt."

"Eugene?!" A darker woman yelled beside the lady with the katana. "Where's Abraham?!" The desperation in her voice made Dwight's heart constrict. He couldn't imagine knowing someone murdered Sherry. Situations like that moment made him realize that his victims were real people. It didn't make him feel better about his wrongdoings.

The man named Eugene started to sob and couldn't produce the words to express what happened to his fallen friend. The woman started to shake in disbelief while he heard others wail open hearing the news or look down gravely. Dwight felt like dirt.

"We want to be let in," Dwight relayed simply as he gestured to all the Saviors around him. "All of us."

"No way in hell we gonna let you fuckers in here," the man with the crossbow practically growled.

Their leader looked at all the Saviors with some sorrow on his face but maintained some strategy and didn't look the least bit intimidated as what could happen next. "Negan must have not gotten the message that we gave your friends," he said with mild threatening in his voice.

"Oh, he did," Dwight assured. "He just didn't take it well." Dwight then held the machine gun at Eugene's head to indicate how serious he was. "Now let us in or I will kill him."

Then Eugene did something that Dwight wasn't prepared for in the slightest. Usually when he made threats, everyone did as they were told. Instead, Eugene head butted Dwight in the crotch as Dwight groaned and doubled over with immediate internal pain. Eugene refused to let up and pushed Dwight over as he fell to the ground.

Instantly, Dwight heard gunshots from both sides. They all thought it a good opportunity to strike while some had their guards down with the distraction.

Dwight tried to recover from being racked in order to clear way of the gunfire and kicked Eugene in the face to get him away. He quickly got on his feet and ran for cover. "Shit," he breathed as he didn't expect the encounter to go like that at all. From what he heard from other Saviors, Alexandria wasn't like Hilltop or the Kingdom. From his first time meeting them, he could tell by their attitude and by their endurance that they were prepared to play hardball. Dwight also found it endearing that they mourned when their friends died. They fought when they needed to protect what was theirs. Dwight was envious of their community. Indeed, they had everything that he wanted.

He hid behind a nearby car as shots continued to fire. He saw Eugene dash towards the gate as the Alexandrians let him in quickly and took cover once more. The Saviors had a difficult time finding concealment as Dwight's team started dropping like flies. Dwight felt someone lay low next to him and turned his head somewhat to see it was Takuya then brought his attention back to the altercation.

It didn't take long for Dwight to see that their efforts were futile as more Saviors fell either dead or dying. "Shit," he mumbled to himself and started moving away from Alexandria. "Fall back!" He yelled to the surviving Saviors as they hurriedly followed his command.

They ran until they made it back to the hardware store where the body of the man named Abraham laid. Dwight could hear some growling from all directions in the distance as the noise appeared to be getting closer.

"Dwight!" Takuya yelled to him as they could visibly see the walkers close in. "The Alexandrians are following us!"

"We'll lose them in the herd," Dwight reasoned. "Let's all keep running. Don't stop until we get to the closest outpost!" With that, he turned around and started sprinting. He could the footsteps of his men trample behind him.

As Dwight ran, he felt a small personal victory. Only one man died that day by his own hand. It could have been a lot more if the Alexandrians didn't continue to challenge them. He had been waiting for a group that could contend with Negan and push his buttons.

For once, Negan wasn't the most powerful force in their new world. For once, Negan looked less bulletproof. And despite the failed mission, it was still rewarding to know that perhaps Negan could one day fall.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – For those who have read the comics, are reading book 3, and haven't read books 1 & 2\. I just need to clarify a couple of things that I have made different from the comic books. Particularly, that of Sherry & Dwight.**

 **First off, in my version Sherry & Dwight were NOT married before the apocalypse. They met two weeks after everything went down.**

 **Secondly, Dwight is VERY different from his comic book persona. I always felt that Dwight in the comics was too similar to Daryl…can't have two Daryl's. There's only one Daryl! So instead, Dwight is someone who is completely from my mind. Also, the burn on his face isn't as bad as it is in the comics. Honestly, there's a huge likelihood that he could have died of a burn on his face like that. And without a state of the art hospital? Yeah, no.**

 **Thirdly, Sherry's role as a wife to Negan is not really voluntary in my fanfic. It was either, "Say yes and you'll become my wife. Say no and your friends will die but you'll become my wife anyways." So Sherry is just being a wife for the benefit of her previous group before she entered Sanctuary.**

 **I had to take a lot of liberties with Sherry because she isn't mentioned much in the comic books besides motivation purposes. If you like them, you should read the previous books! I promise, they are well rounded characters that you will love so much. I have enjoyed having free range with these characters and giving them transitions in their personality when their lives change course. Seriously, writing this fanfiction has been so rewarding to me. I would advise those who haven't read books 1 & 2 to read them so you are properly up to speed on these characters. **

**So onto chapter 2 of Vessel!**

Chapter 2

"Sherry, I am proud of much you have improved since the first time I met you," Kevin enthused.

Sherry gave him a sarcastic thumbs up as she sat in his makeshift office inside Sanctuary's infirmary. The first several months, Negan was skeptical of his wives seeing a shrink. However, things improved as Kevin trained them to mentally process things better which made Negan happy that they were crying less around him so Kevin's work was approved. Kevin even bravely suggested to Negan that they needed proper food servings in order to have more energy. There were several occasions where Kevin fought on behalf of their well-being. Surprisingly enough, Negan listened to half of his advice; which was more than Sherry expected. Kevin didn't necessarily agree with Negan's seal of approval because some of the progress was short lived. They all still endured the ongoing pain while being within Sanctuary's high walls.

"I do have one cause for concern," Kevin disclosed as Sherry pretended to look at the flower painting on the wall. She didn't say anything in response while she feigned disinterest. Lately, therapy seemed to be bothering her. She didn't understand why but whatever Kevin said irked her in the worst way.

"I believe that you are becoming emotionally numb," Kevin told. "It's a natural condition for someone in your shoes. But it keeps any feelings of joy or sadness from entering. When would you say that you started feeling this way?"

Sherry looked down at her hands clasped together on her lap while the vulnerability started to sink in. "Do you want to try and fix it?" She asked warily.

"You don't want to fix it," Kevin deduced from her tone. It wasn't a question.

"I'm surviving," Sherry defended in a small voice as she continued to stare downwards. "Same as everyone else."

"Do you feel that if you let emotions in that you will start unraveling?" Kevin inquired. "Is acting numb to what Amber is doing making you feel better?"

Sherry looked up to him in question as he met the gaze. It was the first time that he really brought something specific up. "All of the girls told me their various sides of the story. But you have acted off since those stories began," he explained kindly.

"I yelled at her the other day," Sherry disclosed. "She just doesn't want to see reason so I stopped caring."

"Have you _really_ stopped caring?" Kevin challenged.

"It's easier not to," Sherry reasoned. "I would prefer to just let go. If this is what the rest of my life is going to be like, I should just accept it."

"Did you stop thinking about what life would be like if you weren't here? Daydreaming?" Kevin asked.

Sherry nodded. "I used to think about that every minute of the day."

"What thoughts did you give up on specifically?" Kevin pressed.

Sherry made a face and eyed him. "Do I have to say?" She asked.

"No. You don't have to _do_ anything," Kevin assured. He usually had to say those exact words to let her know that his office was an environment unlike the rest of Sanctuary. "I think it would help you though."

Sherry shrugged. "I don't know. I would sometimes think of Jason and his family. I think of when we tried to escape Sanctuary. How they are out there and we're still in here."

"Are you jealous of them?" Kevin asked. "That they were able to escape and you weren't?"

"I could have escaped with them," Sherry said. "I just chose not to."

"Why did you do that?" Kevin asked. He never heard that story in detail before.

"It didn't take long for the Saviors to be on our tracks," Sherry began. "Yolanda broke her ankle. Dwight told Jason, his family and whoever else to keep on running and he would return to Sanctuary with several others in our group. Tell the Saviors that we didn't make it far before a herd overpowered us. Yolanda chose to stay because she would be too slow and it would slow down Jason's family and Jenna. Takuya stayed because he felt guilty for leaving Haruki behind. Dean stayed because he was noble like that. I stayed because if they came back and I was gone, they would get killed. Negan said if I wasn't around to be his wife than he would have no use for my group."

"Do you regret your decision to stay?" Kevin asked.

"It's not that I regret it. I hated that I didn't really have a choice at all," Sherry revealed as Kevin nodded as if she hit the real problem within her reasoning. "Negan knew I would do anything to keep my group alive. I hate that he feels I have a choice in some situations when I really don't. I'm only obligated to do what he wants me to do."

Sherry stopped. "But if I keep thinking of the reason _why_ I'm here, it doesn't make me feel better. Just thinking of nothing in particular is better than being bitter. Right now I'm just surviving. And I'm okay with that."

Kevin took his glasses off. "Sherry, it's okay to feel this hatred," he encouraged. "And it's okay to hate Negan. It's also okay to give specific emotions to everything around you. You don't have to be confused about how you feel about things. I suggest right now that you keep going. Describe the things you hate. Everything you hate right now. Just get it out."

Sherry looked uncomfortable. As if doing what he asked was going to open a can of worms that she wasn't ready to open.

"How about you start with simple things?" Kevin suggested. "For example, I hate that my shoes have holes in them. So when it rains, my feet and socks are soaked."

Sherry thought to herself but shook her head while unwilling to take part in the exercise. Even without voicing her thoughts out loud, she could feel her heart clench before she tried to shut her emotions away again.

Sherry _did_ hate a lot of things. Small inconveniences to big problems in her life threatened her bubble as she thought of all of them. She hated associating rain with the day Dwight got burned. She used to love rain and thunder. She hated that Megan had a crush on Takuya but couldn't pursue him like normal people could. She hated forcing herself to feel absolutely nothing so she could cope with life. She hated that it had been nearly two years since she spoke to her best friend and that she hurt him. She hated putting the blame on herself for everything that happened between them.

Most of all, she despised Negan and how he felt entitled to have every part of her life. Her whole world revolved around the one person that caused her so much pain and heartache. The chance of ever living a normal life was thwarted because of him.

Many times where she was with Negan she would close her eyes and pretend that he was Dwight instead. But that only served to cause her even more mental punishment. Dreaming of a better life wasn't making her life any better in the present.

Sherry looked up to see Kevin smiling at her politely. "Didn't that feel better?" He asked.

"I didn't say anything," Sherry argued.

"You weren't even thinking about things you hate? Not at all?" Kevin tested.

Sherry stopped and sighed knowing that she played into his little experiment. "There was a lot to hate," Sherry confessed. "How is _that_ supposed to make me feel better?"

"Humans hate things. You're still human and you're still here," Kevin responded confidently. "Now what do you love?"

"That list is a lot smaller," Sherry confided but did let his question sink in. She thought of the people that surrounded her. Her friends. Over the year and a half, it was sometimes difficult to show them how much she valued being close to them. In some ways she felt that they were all better off without her. Even though she protected them to the best of her ability, in her heart she knew she failed them. When she gave up hope, she lost her friends in more ways than one. It was lonely to let Negan finally win.

And Dwight. She loved Dwight but couldn't even speak to him. However, she had lost him a long time ago. He tried to assure her that he would make her life better one day but she only shut him down. She would never forget the tormented look on his face on that day.

Kevin smiled again knowing she was processing it all in her mind. "It's sometimes difficult to admit the things that you love and hate. However it makes you all the more real. More authentic. More truthful. It's hard to feel that strongly especially when you feel helpless to change the surroundings near you. But these emotions are what drive people to do what they do. It gives them the drive to fight back. Even if life gets harder. You just keep on trying. Negan may think he can have you physically. But he can't have your mind. _You_ control that. Don't become numb to your emotions, Sherry. Don't shut them out. Let them help you heal and become stronger than they were before so you can be the best self you can be," Kevin encouraged. "Do you think you can do that?"

Sherry felt slightly overwhelmed but nodded. "I'll try," she mumbled. "But I'm not making any promises."

Kevin looked very enthusiastic as he jotted in his notebook.

"Can I ask you a question?" Sherry asked.

"Certainly," Kevin said and gave her his undivided attention.

"How are you always so positive?" She inquired. In their time, Kevin hardly ever spoke about his past. Other than being a therapist for twenty years, she knew nothing about him.

He smiled but it quickly faded as he put his hands on his lap and thought to himself. "I won't pretend that my life hasn't been personally touched by this new world. Everyone has been affected. I had two daughters before this all happened. Jillian was the oldest and Jaclyn was the youngest. I also had a wife that I loved very much. Her name was Jodi. My happiness now doesn't mean that I am absent of sadness. I remember them every day. I miss them more than I can say. But life goes on for me. And I know that they are some place where they no longer feel pain." Kevin said. "I'm an optimist. I just feel somewhere deep down that this isn't where my life ends. Not in Sanctuary. So I go about my life just waiting when that moment comes when I can finally step outside these walls."

Sherry looked at him with sympathy. "I hope that happens for you," she offered halfheartedly.

Kevin beamed in confidence towards her. "And I hope the same for you as well, Sherry."

…

"Fucking fucked up!" Negan yelled from hearing the news that his men failed him. He paced for a moment and then turned to face Dwight again for confirmation. "How many are dead?"

Dwight stood in Negan's dining room where plans were laid out for any strategical tactics that they needed to use against the Alexandria Safe-Zone. It took Dwight and the surviving members of his crew almost an entire day to return to Sanctuary. They made it to the first outpost just before nightfall and were able to drive towards Sanctuary the rest of the way. "Eleven of the twenty-five you sent," Dwight clarified. One of the people missing from the final head count was the young eighteen year old boy who had questioned him about his misdeeds.

Negan shook his head with disbelief. Alexandria was the first community that was resisting the Saviors with every encounter. The Kingdom put up a struggle but they were soon taken over once Negan staged a coup on their own territory. However, the new community was retaliating far more than they ever did. "Fuck!" Negan whispered as he glanced over to the map on the dining room that marked where Hilltop, Kingdom, and Sanctuary were. He took a red marker and started circling the outline of Alexandria slowly and methodically.

"Did you see how many people they had?" Negan questioned.

"I couldn't tell by their gate," Dwight admitted. "There could have been much more that were staying hidden. We have no way of knowing. I _do_ know that they put on a good front though."

"Apparently," Negan agreed with a scoff. "They chopped your balls off then sent you sorry fuckers packing." Negan sat down on a dining room chair and motioned for Dwight to take a seat next to him. Dwight's shoulders slumped knowing that Negan wanted to talk a little bit longer than he could stand. He begrudgingly sat down. Negan stared up at the ceiling in thought and then at Dwight as an idea came to mind. "If I sent fifty men with you, do you think that you could stand a chance against them?"

Dwight shrugged. "Like I said, I don't know how many people they have to begin with. So I'm not sure if that will be enough."

"What if you were able to get inside Alexandria?" Negan inquired. "Would that change the game a bit?"

"Yeah," Dwight said but still sounded unconvinced. "We could hide behind their houses and vehicles or whatever else they have. We would need something pretty heavy to break that gate down."

"How about you kids take the Gila?" Negan asked smugly. Dwight could tell that he was picturing their gate being torn down by the military vehicle and delighting in their anguish. "You think that might do the motherfucking trick?"

Dwight took a deep breath and nodded. "That should work just fine," he muttered distantly.

Negan picked up on Dwight's change of mood. "What are you thinking?" He asked wondering if Dwight was holding back on an important tactic that he should know about.

Dwight could have told him to keel over and die as he collected his friends and joined up with Alexandria's ranks. Instead, Negan was sending him to break off any ties that he hoped to make with them as future allies. The Alexandria Safe-Zone had the potential to out-best Negan. He had a strong desire to see that become a reality. He just hoped that they could take on fifty people and not be outmatched.

Seeing that Negan was still looking at him with mild curiosity, Dwight shook his head. "Nothing," he convinced in response.

Negan shrugged and patted Dwight on the shoulder to indicate that their conversation was coming to a close. "I'm going to go shooting for a bit," he announced. "Blow off some fucking steam. Want to join?"

Dwight shook his head once more. "No thanks," he grumbled. "If I'm going back to Alexandria soon, I'm going to get some sleep."

He started walking out of the house as Negan called back to him. "Hey, Dwight?" Dwight stopped but didn't face him. "Do you think after almost two years without incident that we are considered friends?"

Almost stunned by the question, Dwight turned around and wondered if he heard him correctly. "Are you fucking serious?" He questioned in return.

Negan tilted his head to the side in exasperation. "Wait, are you still mad at me for burning the fuck out of your face?"

"Among other things," Dwight muttered and walked out of the house without saying anything else and leaving Negan to forget the conversation ever happened only for the sake of his ego.

…

Negan had invited Sherry to go shooting with him at the range in the police station basement. Every so often, he would invite her and she would always accept. It always felt good to shoot something and she never turned the opportunity down to do so.

There were always other Saviors present when they went. Sherry thought it best and knew it was a security precaution. As obtuse as Negan could sometimes be, he knew to not ever underestimate her.

She felt more aggravated than usual and assumed it was from her conversation with Kevin. She preferred being detached from things. Since the session, she could feel herself become acutely aware of her feelings in regards to everything and everyone around her. It was unsettling and she would have rather kept her emotions bottled up.

Negan gave her a machine gun that he said someone had collected on their last run. She picked it up and adjusted the lever so it rested well on her shoulder.

"Like it?" Negan asked her. "M4 Carbine. She is a fucking beauty."

Sherry took the safety off and cocked the gun while taking aim at the walker heads that were propped on the opposite wall. She pressed on the trigger and didn't stop until the magazine was completely empty. Her whole upper body tingled from the slight recoil and the power of the gun was a slight thrill. While she continued to shoot, Sherry sensed the other Saviors getting closer to her just in case she decided to open fire towards them.

Once she was finished, she put the gun down and admired her work. Walker heads had flown off the metal shelf from the blast as their blood was plastered against the back wall. "I like it," Sherry answered with mild satisfaction.

Negan whistled as he looked at the wall with admiration. "Nice fucking work," he commented then nodded to a Savior that stood beside Sherry. "Make yourself useful and load her up with another magazine."

The Savior instantly did as Negan was told while Sherry took it from the man and didn't hesitate to load, cock, aim, and press on the trigger once more. Once the magazine was out of bullets again, she placed the gun down while letting the adrenaline subside.

"Something got you tense, honey?" Negan thought to ask as he took aim towards the wall with her old shotgun and fired.

Sherry shook her head. "Nothing," she responded simply. Any real answer would have been something that he would have disapproved of so she kept her mouth shut.

He fired several times as she picked up a Glock. Every so often he would turn his attention to her but then thought before expressing fully what was on his mind. Over the last two years, they became something of an odd couple. She disliked him but at the same time related to him. In some ways, he became her friend as much as he was her ultimate enemy. They had conversations like a normal couple would but in the next moment would fight and she would have to immediately back down to avoid a cruel retaliation. Whatever relationship they had was not a two-way street. In some ways, Sherry felt the need to acclimate to her situation in order to survive. Pretending that Negan wasn't a bad person helped. However, as hard as she tried to pretend, she never forgot the bad that he had done. She was always reminded of his brutality among herself and the others surrounding him.

"You upset about the whole baby thing?" He finally questioned almost cautiously.

 _I'll just let him believe what he wants to believe,_ she thought as that was the last thing that was bothering her. Rather, it was one of the things that she found personal joy in. But she would never tell him that. It was one of his strongest wishes that they eventually have kids and the thought made her instantly squirm.

She took aim again now with her Glock and fired. She could see from the corner of her eye that he that he had left his lane and moved behind her. He wrapped his arms around her middle as she held her breath and forced herself to relax. She didn't hyperventilate when he touched her. She couldn't decide if that was an improvement or a failure.

He bent down and rested his chin on her shoulder. "We'll have one soon," Negan encouraged with almost a sweet tone to his voice. "Maybe have five boys or something. I'd be the fucking best dad in the world."

Sherry kept silent and held her tongue from what she really wanted to say. _I couldn't think of a worst dad,_ she thought.

He gently grabbed her face and tenderly moved her cheek so she could look him in the eyes. "I do love you, Sherry," he offered and kissed her softly on the lips.

Sherry's heart beat a little quicker at the sentiment with the usual mixed feelings that his words provided. Many times Negan got upset in the past when she didn't express her love in return. To avoid getting slapped across the face, she didn't fight him. When she did say it, she tried to think of only one person. Someone who she actually cared about. "I love you too," she whispered.

Negan grinned in contentment before kissing her again with more fervor. He held her close as Sherry could feel the confusion regarding him return. She wanted him to let her go. But there was another part of her… _No,_ she thought. _You want him to let you go. Nothing more to it._

Someone opened the door to the shooting range that suddenly turned Negan's attention away from her but only slightly. He squeezed her once more and released his hold around her waist but still leaned behind her with his hands on the lane in front of her. It should have still felt claustrophobic as his arms surrounded both sides but she continued to keep herself relaxed; for her own sanity. The man approached them as Negan maintained a close reach to her.

"Negan," the man said. "We were radioed ten minutes ago. Rick and a few of his group members just left Alexandria. They are on their way to Hilltop."

Another smile came across Negan's face as he pondered what the Savior said. "How many does he have with him?" He inquired.

"Six others," the man said. "Two of them are women. One of them is just a kid."

Negan was silent again as he placed his forehead against the back of Sherry's head. From the way that Negan was breathing on her neck, she knew him well enough to know he was contemplating his next step. She had heard Negan describe the Alexandrian's personally and knew that he was more than slightly angered at their unfearing tactics against Sanctuary. Whatever he wanted to do was going to be merciless. She knew him enough to not provide anything less.

"What would you like us to do?" The man asked timidly.

The questioned returned Negan back to the present as he lifted his head away from Sherry's and looked at the man. "Pack up fifty men," Negan instructed. "We'll meet them up on the road somewhere."

The Savior looked somewhat baffled at Negan's answer. "We?" He asked to make sure that he heard accurately. Negan hardly made any runs with his men as Dwight took care of that part for the most part. Negan kept his time inside the walls unless a special occasion called for it.

"Yeah, these guys are fucking up everything that we have built," Negan reasoned. "That's enough for me to pay a personal visit." Sherry's blood ran cold and knew what was going to happen. She briefly pictured the death of Hannah and Dean in her head but blinked it away from the fear she immediately felt on behalf of the people who would witness it for themselves when Negan made his introductions.

"But you still want fifty men with Dwight tonight?" The Savior asked to make sure he didn't make any mistakes. "To attack Alexandria?"

Negan nodded. "Yep. Fifty men with him and fifty with me," Negan demanded. "It'll show them that they messed with the wrong group. They see our men power and they'll shit their fucking pants."

The man left immediately to get as many men as possible. Negan stepped away from Sherry not before briefly bringing a delicate hold to her back and walked back to his lane. He loaded the shotgun once more but nodded to Sherry with a smile. "Want to come with me tonight?" He offered.

Sherry grimaced and appeared slightly sickened. She would rather not see him stumble upon a group like he had done to her group so long ago. "No thanks," she replied.

"Used to being inside Sanctuary?" Negan asked her while amused by her response.

"I would just rather not see you kill people," Sherry answered honestly. "I've seen enough of that."

"Yeah, I suppose you have," Negan agreed just above a mumble and shrugged. "I'll miss fucking you while I'm gone." His voice had humor in it while Sherry's stomach lurched at his comment. She said nothing.

…

They left the shooting range as Negan reached for her hand and held it tightly. He insisted on the small display of affection while he escorted her to the house that she shared with his other wives. Perhaps if some unbeknownst passerby saw them walking together, they would think Negan and Sherry were happily in love. Sherry almost wished it was true. Only so she didn't have to live her current reality.

"Until I see you again," Negan said as they stood in front of her home. He bent down to kiss her passionately in the middle of Sanctuary where everyone could see. Sherry didn't make an attempt to hold him back or to delve deeper into the kiss. With the conversation that she had with Kevin, his kisses were bothering her more than they had in the last several months. The raw emotion wanted to reject his warmth towards her. It was becoming more difficult to pretend that she didn't hate him.

Sherry then heard a door from the neighboring house open and close as someone stood on the porch quietly. When Negan released his hold on her she turned around to walk back to her house. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the person who stood on the porch was Dwight as she felt his gaze burn holes right through her. She kept her eyes downward and entered her house. Tears stung her eyes as she opened and closed the door. Sherry thought that it would get better every time that she randomly saw Dwight. Instead, the pain had only grown worse.

…

Dwight stood on his porch and lit a cigarette. He watched as Sherry entered her house and then saw Negan make his way towards him. Dwight redirected his attention to Negan and nodded.

"I think we now have the best advantage presented to us," Negan began. "The leader is out of the picture in Alexandria. I got him covered as he travels towards Hilltop. You can take the Gila and kick their asses to the ground." Negan made a face of remorse and lightly kicked at the dirt near the base of Dwight's front porch. "I kind of wish I could go with you guys. Sounds like too much fun to pass up."

Dwight looked at him quizzically. "You going out on the road?" He asked.

Negan nodded. "Damn straight, I am. These fuckers don't stand a fuckity fucking chance."

Dwight inhaled more of his cigarette and nodded while breathing out the smoke. "You really want to just collect taxes from these people or do you just want to make an example out of them in front of Hilltop and the Kingdom?"

Negan smirked. "I'm just planning on killing two fucking birds with one stone," he declared. "They can be fucking taxed _and_ be made examples."

Dwight nodded. He knew exactly how Negan made examples of others. He tossed his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. "Well, I'm headed out," he breathed and started walking away. He could hear Negan snicker behind him. _Let's get this over with,_ Dwight thought to himself as he headed towards the military vehicle parked by the mill. _Let's fucking get this over with._

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES, TRIVIA, & FACTS -**

 **#1 - The machine gun that Negan has Sherry use in their shooting range scene is Abraham's. Just a small easter egg for anyone interested.**

 **#2 - The six that are with Rick are: Michonne, Maggie, Glenn, Daryl, Heath, & Carl Poppa. This is THE scene that occurred in episodes 6.16 & 7.01. Ya know...THE scene.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Dwight's team used the advantage of night while they drove towards the Alexandria Safe-Zone. Takuya was sitting in the front seat as Dwight drove the massive Gila truck that led several other vehicles behind him. None of the Saviors in the vehicle made a sound. Dwight hoped that walkers wouldn't be on their tail and didn't want another problem of a herd being en route. He was still unsure how many people resided in Alexandria. It was still possible that they would be outmatched.

Takuya just sat in silence as they drove. Dwight always knew that there was something on his mind but his old friend didn't voice it. "Nervous?" Dwight asked.

"We've killed people before," Takuya started and held his gun tightly, "but we've never gone to war before."

Dwight's hands tightened around the steering wheel while trying to stay focused on the upcoming task. Yet at the same time, he wanted to comfort his friend to ease his nerves. "Who knows… Maybe there won't be as many people," he offered. "We could have more manpower and there won't be any kind of conflict at all. We just make a big scene and be on our way."

He tried to reassure Takuya but had some reservations about the whole ordeal for a number of reasons. In truth, they didn't know what they were up against and could have been vastly outnumbered. These were people that knew how to survive at all costs. Dwight was used to dealing with the other communities that acquiesced to the Saviors without disorder. They were compliant because they had feared the worst. The Alexandrian's were different.

There was another reason that Dwight had reservations about attacking Alexandria. There was finally a community that was able to defy Negan. He loathed fighting them in the first place because of their perseverance and backbone. He didn't want to be personally responsible for killing a group that reflected his own people when they first met the Saviors. They were like him. They were like Sherry. From what he saw of Alexandria, he knew they had families to protect. _Children._ Yet, there he was. Driving towards Alexandria with men armed and ready to kill.

Dwight didn't know what the future held for him in regards to an afterlife. He told himself many times that he was going to hell for the things that he had done. Even if it were to protect people that he cared about, Dwight was sure God didn't care what the purpose was for. He thought about what a disappointment that he must have been to his parents and to his brother. If they were still alive, he could only imagine what they would say in regards to the person that he had become. No doubt his parents would have disowned him a long time ago.

His brother was supposed to be by his side throughout all of the new world. His brother brother had been his lifelong moral compass. It had been years since he passed but Dwight wondered every day what life would have been like if he was still around. As Dwight drove closer to towards Alexandria, he pondered all the different variables that their life would have taken. However, every thought came to one conclusion. _If John were here, he would have died a martyr. He would have refused to play any of Negan's games,_ Dwight thought. It made Dwight feel more like a coward. He knew his brother would have put up with a lot less than Dwight could.

Dwight rued the day that they were taken to Sanctuary. So much could have been avoided. He constantly thought of where his life would have been if Negan didn't ambush their little makeshift camp. It would have been treacherous living among the walkers but they could have survived.

Takuya turned his attention to Dwight again. "What do you think Negan is going to do with the leader?" He questioned.

"I have absolutely no idea," Dwight replied. "Nothing good though. Make an example so others will follow. That's what he's best at."

Takuya peered out the window in thought. Dwight could sense the aggravation building under Takuya's skin. He was the sort of person that tried his best to do the right thing at all times. He killed several people himself due to Negan's request for it but his kill count was not nearly as much as Dwight. He often held back because the guilty conscience settled. Dwight wished he could be more like him. He wished that he had a choice.

"What are we doing?" Takuya asked in exasperation.

"Driving to Alexandria," he muttered knowing what he was getting to.

"No. What are _we_ doing, Dwight?" Takuya asked again. "We've been fighting for Negan two years. And for what?"

"To keep the ones we love from getting hurt or killed," Dwight justified but with gritted teeth.

"But at what cost?" Takuya pressed.

Dwight thought about it as he twiddled his thumbs while holding onto the steering wheel. "You know I can do a lot of things and not think about it. I can kill a person and not lose any sleep over it anymore. There are a lot of things that I can set aside and go about living my life but I will never compromise Sherry's life. I know I wouldn't be able to live with myself if she died and it was my fault," he whispered what he said to Takuya so the other men in the back wouldn't be able to hear.

He couldn't remember the last time he uttered Sherry's name. He did his best to try not to think about her at all. He felt like he failed her too many times before. He couldn't slip up even more.

They were less than two minutes away from Alexandria. Dwight kept his speed going the same as he kept heading the same direction.

"You don't want to slow down?" Takuya inquired. He knew that Alexandria's gate was coming up fast.

"Nope," Dwight said as he maintained the speed.

They continued to drive as the men behind them started getting their guns prepared. This was a day that Dwight decided to keep his crossbow in Sanctuary. It was a gun kind of night. He could now see the cars that stood in front of the Alexandria gate.

"Ready for this?" Dwight yelled to the men in the back.

"Yes sir!" They all yelled back in unison.

"No," Takuya said while Dwight rammed into the car blocking Alexandria's gates. The car was easily pushed to the side as their Gila barreled into the gate. The force propelled all the men forward as the gate hardly budged. It took Dwight by surprise from the gate's durability but saw it was enough to let the men inside Alexandria's walls one by one. Dwight could see some lights instantly turn on in the houses as gunfire shot at the roof of his vehicle. Nevertheless they all climbed out of the car and started shooting at Alexandria instantaneously while the Saviors in the cars behind also found a way inside.

Takuya handed Dwight his gun as they both emerged from the vehicle and onto Alexandrian soil. Gunfire rained around him as he decided to take cover beneath the Gila. His men in the trucks behind him started to open fire as the men in the vehicle with him started finding places to take cover. Saviors emerged from the gate as Dwight could see people in Alexandria in their hiding places and opening fire constantly in his direction.

He never was in a war before but knew enough to think of creative ways to stay hidden and alive. Dwight stayed underneath the vehicle until an "enemy" came into view. He waited as he saw both Alexandrians and Saviors alike start falling to the ground. Finally an Alexandrian was in his sights while Dwight took the shot. The man fell down as Dwight logged the kill down in his mind and added it to his list that was regrettably growing.

Dwight waited to see if his hiding spot was compromised but noticed no gun fire rained upon him. He sat still and waited once more. Two more people came into view. One was a man and one was a woman. He fired at the man as he instantly fell lifeless. The woman quickly looked to the direction that the bullet came from and didn't waste time shooting in his direction as she took cover. Dwight rolled to the right hoping to dodge as many bullets as possible and luckily was unscathed.

He got up from the vehicle and quickly ran to find another place to take cover. Dwight saw that the gate was being held up by giant dirt mounds on the inside of the gates. He knew that was the reason why the gate didn't relent as much as it should have when he hit it.

He ran behind a house to take cover but he didn't go unnoticed as several Alexandrians were on his tail.

"Dwight!" Takuya said. Dwight jumped at the sound but saw Takuya was right behind him.

"They're coming this way. Get out of here!" Dwight whispered to him. A more prominent gunshot could be heard as Dwight stumbled a bit. He saw bits of flesh, blood, and denim leap into the air the same time he could feel a pain on the side of his right thigh. Instantly putting a hand on top of his thigh for pressure, he hissed at the sudden realization that he had been shot in the leg! "Motherfucker!" He growled.

He leaned against the house for support. His back was pressed to the house as Takuya did the same with worry on his face. "Dwight!" Takuya whispered. "Are you okay?"

Dwight shushed him as he waited for whomever to make their way closer to the house. They heard constant gunfire in the distance but now that Dwight was in Alexandria, he felt as if their forces were evenly matched instead of unfair. It made him feel a little better about attacking them. But only a little bit. He could only feel so great from being shot in the leg.

A shadow emerged to Dwight's left. He started to shoot immediately towards it as the shadow quickly took cover. Dwight kept on shooting every couple of seconds as he limped backwards pushing Takuya to do the same. "Let's get out of here," Dwight warned as he kept on firing.

They made it out of their cover spot behind the house and found a spot next to a porch that seemed unoccupied. Dwight knelt down forcing himself to hastily do so while his wound spilled blood out from the pressure. Takuya started walking further away from the gate as Dwight grabbed for his arm in caution then shook his head. "No! Not into the town," he whispered sharply to him.

Takuya knelt down next to him. "Your leg looks bad," he said.

Dwight didn't say anything only to help himself ignore the pain and just ride the adrenaline that he was on. He poked his head out of their cover and saw many Saviors still holding it out. He saw five that were dead in front of the gate next to the Gila.

"What's the plan?" Takuya asked.

"Well, we made ourselves known and that we mean business for when we encounter them in the future. I don't see why we can't head back now. We proved our point. There isn't anything else to do," Dwight reasoned. "This shouldn't escalate any more than it has."

Takuya nodded. "So how do we get back to the Gila without getting killed? Almost everyone has their gun pointed in that direction," he said. "And you might not be the fastest runner right now."

Dwight exhaled slowly. "Let's just push our way through." He stood up straight as more pain surged through his body. "Fall back and open fire! Give them everything you got!" Dwight yelled. All the Saviors heard him shout and the gun fire was rapid among Alexandria. Pieces of wood and glass from the houses started flying in the air.

Dwight and Takuya started walking as the Saviors covered them as much as they could while they all walked backwards towards the gate. One Savior tried to climb inside the Gila once more but was shot by someone inside a watch tower.

"Forget about it!" Dwight yelled. "Let's move!"

They continued to try and make their way to the gate but Dwight was getting slower and more exhausted. Takuya did his best to help but Dwight knew what he had to do. He pushed Takuya to the gate.

Takuya looked confused but Dwight pushed him again. "Go!" Dwight said.

"No! I'm not going to leave you here!" Takuya tried to say over the gunfire.

"Takuya! Just do it! I'll try and find another way out of here," he suggested but knew his chances were slim.

More Saviors started going beyond the gate as Dwight and Takuya were losing gunfire on their side. They only had so much more time. "Please do this for me, Tak," he practically begged.

Takuya hesitated one more time. "I'm sorry," he said. With that, he ran to the gate with the other Saviors.

Dwight started running towards the back of the house once more for cover. He told himself to worry about the pain later as he kept on running so he could simply survive. His leg wanted to buckle with every step but he forced himself to stay alert. He continued to run as he assumed the people in Alexandria stopped firing because they thought he stayed behind the house. He ran quickly and saw an opening as the Alexandrians closed in on the area where he previously was.

His leg buckled underneath him as he started running further into the town. He almost fell over on his face but kept himself upright as he put more weight on his stronger leg. He quickly looked around to see if there were any more vantage points and he could see nothing to help him get out of Alexandria. He could also hear the trucks from Sanctuary leaving the area in the distance. He knew he was now alone to take care of himself.

In the darkness, no one yet picked up on where he specifically was so he walked as fast as he could to find any shelter and wade it out until everyone fell cautiously asleep. He saw a building that looked to be brand new. It had a cross on it as Dwight found it odd that they made a church inside Alexandria. He found nothing wrong with religion but saw that it seemed out of place in a world like the one they lived in. But he was used to a community like Sanctuary. Where, in fact, Sanctuary wasn't what it preached.

Dwight quickly opened the door and closed it behind him. He turned around to see some candles were lit around the room. It looked like an actual church building. Pews were on each side and further in the room was a podium with a cross displayed on the front of it. Dwight felt wrong to be in there. He couldn't help but feel like he was defiling a sacred place. Church wasn't a place for a man like him. Not anymore.

Someone emerged from behind the podium and Dwight held his gun up towards the person. Dwight's heart instantly contorted as the man was a priest of some kind and also wore a collar like a religious figure would. _Fuck,_ Dwight thought but held his gun up anyways.

"You shouldn't be here," the priest said quietly and calmly. He put his hands up to show he had nothing to hide. "This is a house of God."

Dwight didn't know that he was going to be hit with a wall of guilt and knew inside that he couldn't actually kill a priest inside a church. If he wasn't going to hell before, that action would have solidified it. He tried to push that concern out of his head and kept his gun aimed at the man merely for intimidation.

"Tell me how to get out of here," Dwight said. "I promise, I won't kill you if you just help me get out of Alexandria."

The priest shook his head firmly. "I don't believe I can help you with that," he revealed while sounding apologetic. "It's not in my control. My people will want to deal with you the way they deem appropriate."

Dwight started sweating as the adrenaline wore off and his wound on his leg became more distinct. The priest glanced down at his leg then peered at the floor behind Dwight. "They are going to find you here," he stated. Dwight turned around and saw a trail of blood from his gunshot wound. His pants were alredy soaked with blood.

"Fuck," Dwight exhaled as he started to feel lightheaded. He turned his direction back to the priest and kept holding his gun towards him. He then quickly pointed his gun at one of the pews and then back to the priest. "Sit down," he demanded trying to sound as authoritative as possible.

The man sat down as Dwight could hear some commotion outside as the noise steadily drew closer. He stood still and didn't know what to do in his situation. The one hostage that he had, he couldn't even shoot. He knew there wasn't any way out of his situation so he continued to pretend that he was more lethal than he really was and put the rifle on the side of the priest's head.

The priest shrunk in fear slightly as Dwight kept the intimidation up for as long as he could.

"Your leg. It's badly wounded. I don't speak for my group but I know they can fix that. They can help you," the priest reasoned in a soft voice.

Dwight shook his head. "They aren't going to help me. I just ruined your gate," he said.

"We have parts to make another one. We have a great team of construction workers." The priest was trying to make small talk. Dwight only wanted him to stay quiet so as not to draw attention to their location. But he already knew the Alexandrian's would find him. And soon.

"Shut up," Dwight said as the noise outside got closer. He was going to be found any second.

"You don't have to do this," the priest offered kindly as he made eye contact with Dwight. "You could turn your life around. There's still time."

Dwight's anger on his face wore away as he allowed what the man said to enter his mind. He continued to feel lightheaded as he started to visibly shake from the pain.

" _No one_ in this world is too far gone," the man preached. Suddenly the doors burst open as guns pointed straight at Dwight's head or chest.

"Holy shit," he heard someone familiar say in amazement. It was a voice that he hadn't heard in a very long time. He wondered if he was hallucinating from his loss of blood but tried to look beyond the flashlights and vaguely saw the face that matched the voice.

"Dwight?" The man exclaimed whom Dwight recognized from the angry crowd. He still held his gun towards Dwight as Dwight still had his own gun pointed at the priest.

"Jason?" Dwight asked in complete shock. Jason had found a place to live. He was _alive_!

"Put your gun down!" A woman yelled at him.

Dwight knew there was no point in trying to act threatening anymore. He had been caught and now had to hope that he would live to see another day. They won that round fair and square. He placed his gun down slowly in the aisle between the pews. Someone inched forward with caution and grabbed it quickly then backed away.

"On your knees!" The woman yelled again.

"Sasha. His leg," Jason reasoned on behalf of his old friend. However, Dwight could hear the conflict in his voice.

"It's fine, Jason," Dwight surrendered in defeat as he bent down and did what was asked of him. The priest stayed still as he remained sitting on the pew next to him.

Dwight could hear Jason trying to talk to the woman named Sasha on his behalf.

"He _killed_ Abraham," Sasha nearly seethed.

"I know," Jason said weakly already losing his side of the argument. "But I know him. We met each other a couple of weeks after everything went down. He's a good man."

"The hell he is!" Sasha said angrily. "A lot could have changed since the last time you saw him. How do you know he's still okay?"

"I don't!" Jason said. "But we shouldn't do anything until Rick gets back to decide anyways. He'll want to know that he's here!"

"What are you suggesting?" Sasha asked in annoyance. The idea of keeping him alive didn't sit well with her. That much was evident even from where Dwight knelt with his hands behind his head.

Another woman with short hair walked up to Dwight with no fear and a gun in hand. "We'll take him to the infirmary. Try to get some information out of him."

"Carol," Jason warned as the woman, supposedly named Carol, took her gun and hit Dwight hard on the forehead with it. Dwight stumbled to the ground as his vision became hazy. With an already exhausted body, the hit was the icing on the cake. He quickly passed out.

…

Sherry heard all of the commotion from the bar at almost four in the morning. She could hear Negan and his men arriving back in Sanctuary as they immediately headed over to the tavern to celebrate a small victory. Without hesitation, she walked in the darkness towards the bar to confront Negan.

Word seemed to travel fast when one of her group members was in peril. Dwight's group of men came back to Sanctuary with one person missing among the ranks. Takuya was quick to tell Yolanda about Dwight's disappearance who in turn told Sherry. The second that it was brought to her attention, her heart swelled with an insurmountable amount of pain. To think that he was dead, captured, or God knows what made her stomach twist into knots.

Negan had made a promise to her years ago that her group would be protected as long as they obeyed his every rule. She felt a responsibility to hold him to that commitment. Never did she try and mention Dwight to him for obvious reasons in the past several years. But that night she had a duty to make sure that he was safe.

She entered the bar where all the men were laughing uproariously. Negan was in the middle of the room playing billiards with a man who seemed too drunk to even stand, let alone play. The men started whistling in her direction the minute that she stepped inside. Negan's attention was quickly drawn towards the sounds of catcalls as a big smile formed on his face.

"Sherry!" Negan boomed as he gestured for her to join him at his side. "Check this game out! I'm winning!"

She quickly made her way beside him but rested both hands on top of his shoulders and tugged downwards while urgency read through in her eyes. He leaned down thinking that she wanted a kiss but instead she whispered in his ear. "I have to talk to you," she said quietly, "in private."

Negan grimaced slightly and stood up straight while bringing his attention back to the pool table. "Now?" He complained. "I'm in the middle of whooping this guy's ass!"

Sherry reached for his forearm gently. He glanced back at her as they locked eyes to see her silently begging him. "Negan, please," she urged.

With a sigh and a smirk, Negan turned to address all of his men. "Apparently she couldn't wait until later to get fucking boned!" He shouted. The men started laughing as Negan then guided Sherry out of the bar. He held her hand as they made their way to his house. The second that his front door closed behind them, he leaned her against it and started kissing her neck slowly.

"This isn't why I needed to talk to you," Sherry confessed with her hands resting on his chest. She could feel his heartbeat quicken at the sound of her voice.

It took awhile for what she said to compute as he continued to kiss her jawline passionately. "It never is," he finally said in her ear and stood up straight while softly holding her chin. "What do you need?"

"Dwight didn't make it back from Alexandria," Sherry said without hesitation. It would have been difficult to bring him up in conversation so she decided to just say it and deal with the consequences later.

Negan's coy smile instantly turned into a frown as he put his index finger up to her face to scold her. "He isn't your fucking concern anymore," he growled.

Her breathing felt strained all of a sudden as she tried to blink away the tears. However, she needed to maintain what she set out to do; to protect Dwight. "You need to check and see if he's still alive," Sherry asserted. She wasn't asking. She demanded that he would.

Negan folded his arms. It was his signal that he was listening but was going to put up a front. She knew him well and was glad that he was at least hearing her out. "Probably isn't," Negan said coldly. "Only judging from what Lucille just did to some of Alexandria's motherfucking members on the road. No doubt he's fucking dead already."

Sherry swallowed the lump in her throat that was evoked from Negan's words. She refused to believe him. "You are going to check and confirm then."

Negan rubbed his eyes with his hand in frustration then groaned angrily. He walked to the living room and sat on the couch with a huff while possibly contemplating what to say to his distressed wife. It had been a long time since he punished her. Over time they bonded in ways that perhaps was unnatural for either of their situations. Sherry didn't necessarily know where she stood in regards to Negan. However, she knew that Negan cared for her greatly. More than he sometimes let on.

"Negan," Sherry started as she stood by the front entrance still. "I have never asked you to do anything for me. Not once. I _need_ you to do this for me. Dwight was a member of my old group. One of the members that I swore that I would keep alive. I need to know that he's alive."

"And you're sure that this has nothing to do with fucking him a couple years back?" Negan struck back.

Sherry shook her head while trying to stay afloat throughout the very trying conversation. Even when he said it, she pictured kissing Dwight but the picture quickly turned into a flashback of Dwight getting burned on his face. "This has everything to do with his life being _my_ responsibility," she held and walked in the living room to sit beside Negan. With one hand, she held his wrist while the other gently played with the hair just above his ear. She wasn't beneath begging. For Dwight, she would.

"Please," she repeated. "It would mean the world to me if you at least checked. Please, Negan."

His hand slowly brought a hand towards her upper thigh as he massaged it gently. Still deep in thought, he studied her face to read the sincerity behind it. With his other hand, he pulled her towards him as his previous appetite could be read in his eyes. She knew what had to happen to convince him fully but already knew that was how he operated. Tenderly reaching for her hand, he brought it to his mouth and kissed it. "Fine," he relented. "I'll check to see if he's still alive. I needed to pick up some supplies there anyway. I'll leave tomorrow."

Sherry felt immediate relief but still was nervous about Dwight's actual well-being . She prayed that he was okay. "Thank you," she expressed and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Any fucking time," Negan said and held her tightly. The tension finally collapsed as he laid her down on the couch and proceeded to kiss her on the lips. She felt ashamed to reciprocate his affections in any way even if it sometimes did make her life easier. As he continued to grab hold of her clothes to remove them, she forced herself to relax. Negan offered to find Dwight for her. For him, it was going above and beyond to make her happy. For that, she was grateful.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"He's not allowed to have any of our medicine," Carol instructed harshly towards a woman named Denise.

Denise gawked at Dwight's bullet wound on his thigh and back towards Carol. "It's not a through and through," she defended. "He needs something to numb it."

"Well, he doesn't get it," Carol maintained as she sat in the room with a gun on her lap. She kept a careful watch on Dwight just in case he made any move to be violent. Dwight laid flat on his back in their makeshift infirmary which sat in the middle of Sanctuary. He was taken straight there as they waited for him to wake up from being knocked unconscious by Carol. Carol was a small woman. Someone that he would have never predicted would have been calling the shots. But she did. And everyone listened to her.

Denise didn't say another word to argue. Nor did she give an apologetic face to Dwight. He could tell that she only felt obligated to help him and didn't trust him. She started getting the supplies that she needed to help get the bullet out and suture his leg back up. She already successfully stopped the bleeding.

It was nearing morning time in Alexandria. Jason gave Dwight some of his family's rations of food and water. Everyone seemed to be relatively friendly only because Jason insisted that Dwight was still a good person. Dwight didn't know if he believed that himself or not.

Someone opened the door in the room as Dwight heard an audible gasp. He turned to see who it was and sat up. "Dwight!" Terri uttered as she rain over to him and gave him a hug. He was shocked by the affection. He hadn't been hugged in a very long time. He gave her a light pat on the back in return.

Carol looked on with mild curiosity as she kept her suspicions on Dwight. Dwight knew he couldn't be trusted and didn't deserve their trust or kindness. Carol was only being smart.

Terri broke their embrace and stared at him with fearful eyes. He saw as her eyes trailed over the scar on his face as she placed a hand over her mouth while clearly stunned. "Oh my God! Dwight, what happened to you?" She questioned breathlessly.

"I'm confused," Denise piped in as she continued to set her instruments up. "How do you guys know each other?"

"You need to explain this all to Rick when he returns," Carol advised Terri. "He'll want to know the full story too."

Terri nodded in understanding. "We never spoke about our time in Sanctuary," she began as Denise and Carol exchanged glances of shock. They didn't even know that the McCoy family ever took residence among the Saviors. "We chose to forget about it and all the bad memories that came with it. So when Aaron recruited us as members of Alexandria, we put it all behind us."

"They first attacked us weeks ago," Carol argued but in a soft voice. "Any information would have been useful to us."

"Our information could have been vastly outdated," Terri countered. "It's been a very long time and a lot of things change quickly nowadays. We also didn't want to appear untrustworthy in any way."

Carol nodded as she perceived Terri's words to be truthful. The woman had more patience for Terri than she did for Dwight. Carol didn't like Dwight one bit.

"How is everyone else?" Terri asked with trepidation but needed to know their well-being regardless. "Yolanda?"

Dwight nodded. "She's alright."

Terri breathed and closed her eyes. "Jenna will be happy to know that. And Dean?"

Dwight blinked several times and shook his head. "Negan killed him."

Tears started to escape from Terri's eyes but still wanted to ask about her other previous group members from long ago. "Takuya and Haruki?"

"Takuya is doing great," Dwight responded. "Haruki's dead."

"Did Negan kill him too?" Terri asked innocently.

Dwight didn't know how to word what really happened to Haruki. "His blood might be on my hands," he confessed with honesty.

Terri peered at him trying to figure out how that could even be the case. "Why?" Terri pressed.

"Haruki was the one who told Negan that we escaped Sanctuary that night. That's why they were on our tail," Dwight explained. "I don't regret anything."

Terri looked somewhat horrified as Dwight spotted Carol from the corner of his eye. She was interested in hearing everything that he had to say.

"Sherry?" Terri then asked already worried about the answer.

Dwight didn't talk about Sherry much. When anyone else mentioned her, it physically hurt to know where she currently was and how Dwight broke his promise to make her life better.

"She's alive," Dwight replied distantly as he pretended to focus on Denise who was still getting everything prepared.

"Who are these people?" Carol inquired. "Are they Saviors?"

Terri shook her head and glanced at Carol. "They were part of my old group," she answered. "Negan and his men came upon our camp in the middle of the night and forced us to join his ranks. We all tried to escape together." Terri looked to Dwight with gratitude then back to Carol. "Dwight saved us. The Saviors were coming to pick us back up and Dwight told us to split up. Everyone else went back to Sanctuary to take the blame. Jenna's mother is still in Sanctuary."

"I always thought that she was yours," Carol commented.

"We took her in but she's Yolanda's," Terri said as she put on sterilized gloves and retrieved rubbing alcohol from Denise then poured it around Dwight's wound. Dwight took a sharp inhale as he tried to hold his leg still. He was trying to avoid the fact that he only had his boxer briefs on and that his old pants were thrown away. New pants that belonged to Jason were laying on the floor in the corner.

"Yolanda actually adopted Jenna after everything happened. Jenna was all by herself," Terri further explained and looked to Denise. "I've taken a bullet out of someone before, Denise. If you would like me to do it, I can do it and you can get the sutures ready."

"Thank you!" Denise answered politely. "I was kind of dreading it." Dwight knew that Denise was probably capable of doing it on her own. But she still eyed Dwight warily while Terri held no fear when it came to him. He also trusted Terri full-heartedly.

Dwight felt as if he was transported into a whole different world. The people were kind in Alexandria. Despite Carol refusing to give Dwight any medicine, she still didn't disapprove of him getting the bullet out. He knew that if he didn't have any connection with Jason and Terri that the special treatment wouldn't have even happened. But special treatment wasn't a phrase that they used in Sanctuary. Everyone was treated in poor taste.

"Here," Terri offered as she handed Dwight his belt. "You can use this to bite down on. Without any pain medication, this could be a little on the painful side. Well, you know how it goes." She referred to when she had to get a bullet out of Sherry's shoulder. That seemed like a century ago. He took the belt from her and held it until she was ready.

Dwight stayed focused and tried not to watch Terri prepare for the bullet removal. He kept quiet as well. It had been too long since he had regular conversations that didn't consist of battle tactics or questioning what he was doing. Alexandria felt like a different planet. The people, the place, and the atmosphere were almost completely foreign to him.

Terri grabbed tweezers and looked to Dwight with a nod to let him know that she was ready. He took his belt and bit on it as Terri took the tweezers and started digging. Almost like a shock wave throughout his entire body, he started shaking and grunted from the electrifying pain.

Terri wasn't surprised from his reaction. "Must have hit a nerve," she stated simply but continued in her work. "There could be potential nerve damage. There will obviously be muscle damage. You'll be numb for a couple months or more." She continued in her work as Dwight fought to stay still. "Carol, you must have not wanted to kill him."

"Why?" Carol asked as Dwight was then informed that Carol was the one who shot him in the first place.

"Did you know that you were using frangible bullets?" Terri asked while she continued in the bullet removal. "The bullet shattered so it didn't penetrate his thigh as badly as it could have if you used a lead bullet. Had it been a lead bullet, you were very close to damaging an artery and poor Dwight would have bled out beyond repair. Denise, can you shine a light on this for me? There are several slivers here and there. This is going to take longer than I thought." Terri looked up to Dwight with sympathy. "Sorry about that."

Dwight nodded subtly while trying to hold as still as possible. Denise stood behind Terri as she shined a light on the side of Dwight's thigh.

Dwight took his belt out of mouth after a short amount of time passed. "Terri, I shot at your people," he said in order to remind her what he had done only a few short hours ago. "Why are you helping me?"

Terri continued to concentrate on getting fragments of the bullet out. "Because Jason and I know you are still a good man," she insisted. "You have always tried to do right by the people around you."

"I don't think you're right," Dwight argued.

"Well, I'm never wrong," Terri teased with a smile. _Why the fuck is she so positive right now?_ Dwight thought to himself.

Dwight looked at Carol as she surveyed him but he didn't feel her stare was as cold as it had been just moments before. He looked away and instead peered out the window towards Alexandria. He could see a small commotion as people started to gather towards the gate that was in somewhat disrepair. He was a few emerge from the other side and recognized the leader of Alexandria. He knew any kind of special treatment was going to be severed and knew Negan dealt with them personally last night. Dwight knew Negan didn't go easy on them.

…

Rick burst through the door with several others in his company as Terri jumped slightly while accidentally hit a nerve with the tweezers. Dwight groaned slightly but kept his eyes on the leader as he paced back and forth across the room with fury. Rick stopped and nodded to Terri. "Back away," he demanded angrily.

Terri gazed at Rick with a sense of dread befalling her but did as she was told. She removed the tweezers from Dwight's leg and stepped to the side of the room. Rick eyed the tweezers and held his palm out in Terri's direction. With warning in her eyes, she reluctantly handed him the instrument. When Rick got them in his custody, he walked over to Dwight and held them over his wound as Dwight started taking deep breaths. It wouldn't be the first time he had been tortured. He glared at Rick as Rick did the same.

"You work for Negan?" Rick seethed while his nostrils flared. Blood spattered his face as Dwight already knew he had a long night in the presence of his boss.

"Yeah, I work for him," Dwight answered honestly.

"Is that _your_ vehicle in _my_ gate?" Rick growled with his voice rising.

"Yeah," Dwight responded. "It's mine."

Rick glanced up to two of his men and nodded to Dwight. "Hold him back," he instructed as he quickly drove the tweezers into Dwight's gun wound. Off instinct, Dwight tried to fight Rick's hand away and started thrashing from the instant agony. Two men grabbed his arms and held him down as Terri held down his legs to prevent the tweezers from hitting anything vital.

"Rick!" She shouted in a panic. "Stop!"

The leader didn't say a word as he took the tweezers out of Dwight's leg but held them just above to show that he would do it again. Dwight could tell that he was beyond angry. Whatever Negan did the night before was making him lose it and Dwight unfortunately happened to be the closest Savior around.

"How many men does Negan have?" Rick interrogated.

Dwight stared at him in the eye to make sure the man knew his answer wasn't for intimidation. It was only the truth. "He has hundreds of men," he revealed.

Rick stepped away and tossed the tweezers across the room in a rage. He continued to step away while deep in thought while putting a hand to his mouth to ponder his next course of action; whether it be considered clearly or not.

"Rick," Carol spoke up quietly, "what happened?" The room itself was on pins and needles as everyone wondered what was going on in their leader's mind.

The man that held down Dwight's arm spoke up. Dwight recognized him as the man with the crossbow that he saw a couple of days ago. "Son of a bitch killed Glenn," he said lowly.

The people in the room who didn't hear the news before gasped in shock. Some, including Carol, started to cry. As if that was the trigger that sent Rick over the edge, he took his gun out of his holster and aimed it at Dwight. He was rightfully angry for what happened to Glenn and someone had to pay. Dwight would have done the same thing.

Rick held the gun for a moment as tears stung his eyes. Dwight made no effort to fight back. He felt responsible for annihilating their sense of security. He didn't deserve their mercy.

After what felt like an hour passed, Rick finally lowered his gun and placed it back in his holster. His shoulders were slumped in defeat as he glanced towards Terri and Denise. "Finish and bandage this up," he instructed. "Town meeting in an hour. We all need to talk about a couple of things." With that, he turned on his heel and stepped out of the room.

The two men that held Dwight's arm let him go while the redneck nearly shoved him off the table as a way to shake off his own anger and resentment that he felt towards the Saviors and to Dwight in particular. They made eye contact and exchanged nasty looks towards one another while the man finally broke his gaze and followed Rick.

People stumbled out of the room as the mood was very disheartened from the news of their fallen friend. It was Carol, Terri, Denise, and Dwight once more.

Terri looked up at Dwight with skepticism written on her face. "Did you know about Glenn? She inquired.

Dwight said nothing. He didn't know what Negan's plans were exactly but he knew that he was going to ambush them just like he did with their original group years before.

"Would you help us?" Carol asked out of the blue.

Dwight looked towards her incredulously. The woman could read him well and knew that his loyalty wasn't entirely with Negan. But she didn't know his story. He knew that if he helped their group have the upper hand in any way that Negan would make him pay for it by hurting Sherry. He couldn't risk that.

"I can't," Dwight informed with a deep sense of regret. "You guys are better off killing me."

Terri picked up the tweezers from the floor and sanitized them once more. "Dwight, just tell Rick how you became a Savior," she practically pleaded for his own sake. "Maybe you could stay here. You don't have to go back."

He thought of Sherry and shook his head. "If I have a chance to leave Alexandria, I'm taking it," Dwight confirmed. "If Negan saw me helping you, he'll kill them. You know he will."

"Rick could kill _you_ tonight," Terri cautioned to open that possibility up in Dwight's mind.

"She would be better off I died," Dwight muttered to himself.

Terri put the tweezers in his leg once more. His muscles tensed as the severe pain came back once more. She looked as if she was about to cry. "Every day I felt guilty that you all were still in Sanctuary," she said just above a whisper. Dwight could hear the conflict in her voice as she was unsure whether he had changed since the last time that she saw him.

"You had your kids to think about," Dwight rationalized. "We don't blame you for leaving."

"Sounds and looks like things got a lot worse since I last saw you," Terri lamented as her eyes lingered towards Dwight's scar again. He looked down as he couldn't think of what to say.

"There's nothing we can do to persuade you to tell us anything?" Denise asked in a hopeful tone. Carol just sat and watched with her arms folded. She was absorbing as much information about him already.

"Someone already used a bargaining chip on me," Dwight answered apologetically. "I can't go against him. Even if I wanted to."

…

"We didn't think that they would be a threat to our community," Jason explained to Rick as he held his wife's hand after their town meeting. "That's why we didn't say anything before. We _should_ have said something weeks ago when this all started but we didn't want to sound fishy."

"Well, now that you are talking, what do you know about Sanctuary?" Rick asked simply. He didn't place blame on Jason or Terri. They both proved their worth among Alexandria and it was understandable that they wanted to sever ties from Sanctuary for the sake of their children.

"It's a bad place filled with bad people," Jason began. "Negan being the worst of them all."

"I know that much," Rick muttered as he thought of their encounter the night before. Negan's weapon of choice was even more intimidating than a gun. "But Dwight isn't one of the bad ones? He killed some of our people. He put a gun to Gabriel's head."

Jason thought carefully about his answer before he opened his mouth. "I was there," he told somberly, "when Dwight first killed someone. It was at Hilltop. Gregory was too. He didn't do a thing to stop it. Negan ordered Dwight to kill one of Hilltop's guards. If Dwight didn't follow through with it, Negan was going to kill me. That's always his motivation. He always has someone that he needs to protect."

Rick looked to the rest of his group that stuck around to hear Jason and Rick talk to each other. They wanted to know the story as well. Carol, Jesus, Michonne, Heath, and Daryl all stayed in the church building where their meeting was held. Gabriel stayed as well but was speaking amongst other Alexandrians on the other side of the room.

"Jesus, you said you met Dwight too," Rick addressed the man with the long beard and hair. "When you met him, he was being tortured by Negan?"

Jesus nodded. "It seemed like it," he started. "I asked him why he was there and he said he was trying to escape Sanctuary." He then glanced to Jason and Terri. "I'm guessing that's when you guys escaped."

"Yes," Terri said sadly. "Things have gotten worse for our old group since we left. He didn't specify but he refuses to turn his back on Negan."

"Terri, it's obvious why he won't," Jason spoke up and looked towards her.

They all looked to Jason questioningly. Jason glanced to all of them one by one. "Negan has a wife," Jason began.

…

Dwight's leg was bullet free and bandaged up nicely with stitches firmly in place. He was taken to another part of the infirmary and tied to a chair to prevent escaping. They kept the curtains drawn with the lights off but he knew almost everyone in Alexandria was in the town meeting except for the two men guarding the door on the other side to Dwight's only exit.

He didn't complain about where he was or request to be set free. His motivation was lost as he remained a hostage inside Alexandria. He wished to be back in Sanctuary only to protect Sherry. He knew that the best option was to stay silent and not get on Alexandria's bad side even more than he already was. He knew that was the only way that they would set him free.

Dwight knew that Negan wasn't exactly known for being a man of his word. He was unpredictable. Dwight also knew Sherry. She was a fighter and still was even though Negan tried to prevent that side of her personality only when it came to fighting him in particular. Dwight was unsure of what was going on in Negan and Sherry's personal relationship. However, he still made sure to do what he could on his part so Sherry didn't have to suffer because of him. He doubted that Negan would harm Sherry if Dwight never returned to Sanctuary. For his own sake, he wanted to be in Sanctuary and visibly see that she was alright as it would ease his nerves. Being in Alexandria made him unsettled. He was used to checking in on Sherry and the separation was killing him.

The door opened and Dwight saw Rick standing right in front of him. The man was calm and sorrowful in comparison to how he acted upon seeing Dwight before. His anger was now brushed aside but Dwight could see his mind calculating multiple things at once. As a good leader, he was being methodical and knew that there were few courses of action that could move his people forward; even if those actions were unachievable.

Dwight sat still as he watched the leader flip the light switch on in the darker room. Dwight had to blink several times for his eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. Rick took a chair that stood next to the wall opposite of Dwight and made himself comfortable. "You need anything?" He asked with a voice that didn't necessarily give anything away. The question itself seemed friendly but his tone didn't match it precisely.

With eyebrows scrunched, Dwight stared at Rick while trying to figure him out. For some odd reason, the man made a huge turn around since the last time that he saw him. Rick almost shot Dwight in between the eyes earlier that day. He shook his head in response. "I'm okay," he mumbled.

Rick leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Jason and Terri have vouched for you," Rick said in a low voice. "They _swear_ that you aren't one of them." Rick stopped and stared at Dwight intently. As Dwight thought back to the person that he was when he knew Jason and Terri, that person seemed like a distant human being. That person died when Sherry was taken away from him. "I wanted to ask you myself if that's true."

Dwight gazed down at the floor. "I knew Jason and Terri a long time ago," he began. "I was different then. And if you were smart, you wouldn't trust me."

Rick sat silently as he continued studying Dwight. As Dwight peered up, he saw Rick looking at his scar but he refused to turn away. Almost everyone wanted to ask how he received it. He hardly ever answered. One day he hoped to make a humorous tale about how he got it but it was still too soon for such jokes and lightheartedness.

"I have decided to let you go back to Sanctuary," Rick revealed as Dwight stared at him in puzzlement. "Negan said that he would be here for supplies by tomorrow. If you run into him before then, tell him that we are dividing up our rations in half for him and his group." His voice was full of raw emotion. But mostly defeat and infuriation.

They stayed silent while Dwight was unsure of what to say and Rick was still lost in his own sorrow upon losing both a personal friend and his community to Negan. Dwight had no words of encouragement to give him. Being ensnared by Negan was still something that he fought to get away from and yet he was still back where he started.

"What's changed?" Rick asked in their mutual silence.

Dwight looked to him slightly confused at the question.

"You said that you were different from when Jason and Terri knew you. What's changed since then?"

He questioned once more.

"I don't take chances anymore," Dwight confessed. "Risks have gotten people killed or worse."

Rick nodded as he empathized with what Dwight said. They could understand each other. But neither would budge from where they stood.

…

The sun just rose as Dwight limped out of the infirmary. He was given his gun back and was escorted to the gate. Several of the Alexandrians watched him walk away as they cried about how unfair it was that he was able to escape at all. He didn't understand Rick's reasoning behind it and again was starting to compare Negan and Rick as the leaders that they were. Dwight didn't doubt that in any other situation, Rick would have killed him but he could tell Rick was an analytical leader and thought of the repercussions that each of his actions would make and did what the best outcome was for the sake of his group. Negan didn't care about his people and did what was right by him and only him.

Dwight passed the gate and realized that it had been repaired already from the damage the Gila gave it. The vehicle was nowhere to be found. He decided it was best not to ask for it back. He was still close enough to be shot if he made them upset.

He looked both directions as he decided to walk to the closest outpost and then hitch a ride to Sanctuary for the rest of the way. It was about twelve miles away and with his leg, it would take him the rest of the day. He hoped he would stumble upon a working vehicle before then but knew to mentally prepare to not get to Sanctuary before nightfall. He continued walking away from Alexandria as he held his gun close just in case he spotted any walkers nearby. It was going to be a very long day.

…

Rick watched Dwight stumble away. He didn't want to release him. After what happened with being surprised on the road by Negan's men, Glenn's death, and coming home to see Alexandria in disrepair, he wanted to kill Dwight.

But he knew that wasn't the right course of action. At least not yet.

"Daryl," he said to the man standing next to him.

"Yeah?" Daryl looked to Rick.

"Follow him to Sanctuary. See if you can find out anything there is to know," Rick instructed but only loud enough that Daryl could hear.

Daryl nodded as he quietly opened and closed the gate behind him then covertly tailed Dwight.

It didn't take long until Michonne walked up to Rick with arms folded. "You don't need to lie to the others. What's really going on?" She questioned.

"We need to make Negan think that we are caving in to his requests," Rick said. "Then when the time is right, we strike. Negan doesn't get to be in charge. Not after what he did."

Michonne looked to Daryl as he stayed in the woods a safe distance from Dwight who was still walking on the street. "You think Dwight could be our advantage?" Michonne asked.

"He might be our _only_ advantage," Rick stated. "He could be the key to fixing all of this. We just need to find a way to get him on our side."

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES, TRIVIA, & FACTS - **

**#1 - "I don't take chances anymore," line is a callback to Rick has said umpteen times!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jada ducked backwards before Brittany could lay the marker on her flesh. All of the other girls watched as they moved the couches in the living room towards the walls to make way for sparing. Sherry decided that perhaps if life couldn't get any better, it could also get a lot worse. She asked Jada, one of Negan's newest additions, to prepare the girls for it just in case. Most of them knew how to defend themselves against walkers but not against other people. With no actual knives at their disposal, Sherry thought it beneficial to practice with _something_ rather than nothing. Markers at least showed where a knife would have done damage had it been a real fight.

Brittany came at her with the marker and no restraint. Jada held her arms at bay but the marker started to slowly come down from above her. However, Jada was much stronger and held her stance then quickly kicked Brittany's legs out from underneath her. Brittany fell on her rear with a loud plop as Jada grabbed the marker from her hand and drew a small dot in the middle of Brittany's forehead to indicate the fight was over.

"Now imagine if that was a knife," Jada said breathlessly as she got off of Brittany but smiled. "You're dead." She then looked to the other girls and cleared her throat before speaking up again. "Make sure to avoid having anyone grab your arms. It's possible to get out of that but if you are going against someone twice your size, then it will be difficult to say the least. If it happens, use any other body part that you have to do harm to them. Play dirty. Kick them in the balls if that's all that you can do."

Jada continued, "When you take your knife out in a fight, that means that one of you lives and the other dies. Be calculating. Never turn your back on the attacker. Come at them fast and unpredictable. Don't do the same move twice. The more we practice together, the more prepared we will be if anyone ever tries to sneak in the house again."

Nearly every time Negan and Dwight were away from Sanctuary, someone tried to break into their house. Every time it happened, the girls and Sherry would barricade themselves to the basement and lock the door with no escape; but it was the best thing that they had. Negan now took Sherry seriously when she told them people would try and break in. So whenever she complained about it, someone died in a town meeting soon after. Not too many people tried to push their luck anymore but every so often, a drunkard would still try despite the constant warnings that Negan had set up.

"Christy and Lauren," Sherry said as she gestured towards them. "You two are next. Let's see who wins this round."

Negan left for Alexandria earlier that day to collect rations and find the whereabouts of Dwight. She hoped that he was alive and okay. Until she had confirmation, she told herself not to worry about him. She couldn't think about the what-if's. It would drive her insane to dwell on it anymore than she had.

Lauren and Christy picked up two markers. All of them had blue or red markings over their bodies as they continued to practice knife fighting. The ones most capable of defending themselves were the newer wives as they were outside of Sanctuary the longest being Lauren, Amber, and Jada. Jada was by far the most skilled when it came to knives and was able to strike the other girls in less than thirty seconds.

Sherry did pretty well for being in Sanctuary longer than anyone else had. She hated losing any of her combat skills that she received when she had to survive on pure instinct in the six months before Negan came along. She craved being outside of the walls so she could attack whatever came her way. She never realized how much she would miss it until it was gone. It was preferable over being stuck where she had been for years.

Jada sat beside Sherry and smiled warmly. "This was a good idea. It's useful for all of us to keep on our toes."

"It's not the same as being out there but it'll do," Sherry said with a sigh. "Gut feelings take over when you're in the moment."

Jada nodded with understanding on what Sherry said. She touched her dark brown skin on her forearm and traced the one spot that Brittany had surprisingly marked during their last fight but then looked to Sherry with worry while the other girls continued to fight for the upper hand. "Any sign of Amber?" She then asked with trepidation.

"Nope," Sherry said while instantly becoming perturbed. "I don't know what else to tell her so she can stop what she's doing." Lauren and Christy fell down to the floor and almost started laughing at each other as they were getting enjoyment while trying to best one another.

Sherry grinned subtly towards them while hoping that they would take the exercises more seriously. Jada put an arm around Sherry in comfort as they watched to see which one would get branded first.

For reasons that Sherry didn't know, she remained "mother hen" for all the girls. They all looked to her and sought her out of comfort when they needed her. Sherry didn't mind. It gave her some motivation to get out of bed every morning. They were the only people that made her happy.

Lauren slashed Christy across the stomach with the marker as Christy feigned that death was upon her then fell to the ground. Ashlyn rolled her eyes at the sight while Megan giggled and clapped her approval. "You were so close this time, Christy," she complimented.

Christy groaned but then smiled. "I think that was the closest that I have ever come to whooping Lauren's ass," she commented and looked to Lauren with a smile. "Good job, honey."

It appeared that all the girls seemed more jubilant whenever Negan wasn't around. There was always the air to please him as they were put on display for his viewing purposes. Sherry hated to deny it but being on Negan's good side made everyone's lives easier. There was a point where she stopped fighting altogether. It went against her nature but she still maintained a fake smile when she needed to. However, it was nicer when he wasn't in Sanctuary. With no one to impress, the girls were free to be themselves and enjoy each other's company.

They were conversing amongst each before Sherry called someone else to spar. Just then, the front door opened as Amber came inside soon after. The talking ceased as the women stared from Amber to Sherry while Amber looked towards Sherry with a panic in her eyes. The atmosphere changed in the room from light fun as they all knew the ice was going to break with the glare that Sherry was giving the other woman.

"Where were you?" Sherry questioned while her voice sounded strained. She didn't want to have another bickering match with Amber but knew it was coming regardless. Even though she stepped down from most fights when it came to Negan, she still chose which battles she needed to take part in. Arguing with Amber was something she morally had to continue.

"Nowhere," Amber muttered timidly.

"Dammit, Amber," Sherry bit as she got up from the couch and followed Amber who turned towards the stairs. She reached her room while Sherry was practically on her heels. Amber slammed the door on Sherry but she shoved it open anyways. Amber sat on her bed in a huff with her arms folded as Sherry sat on the opposite bed that belonged to Jada.

"I thought you said that you weren't going to boss me around anymore," Amber sneered.

"Well, I had a change of heart," Sherry revealed sardonically. "I'm not trying to boss you around, Amber. I'm only trying to help you."

"By telling me to throw away the only happiness that I have?" Amber asked. "I love Mark! I _don't_ love Negan!"

Sherry was briefly reminded of a conversation that she had with Yolanda years before when she spoke of her love for Dwight but her heart constricted at what happened after that story ended. "You are preaching to the choir," Sherry said while shutting her mind away from the painful memories. "I've been through that whole song and dance before. I, of all people, know exactly what is going on in your head. But the repercussions aren't worth it. Negan doesn't just go after you. He'll go after Mark and you both will be the worse for it."

Amber stayed silent but appeared like she ignored everything that Sherry said. "We're being careful," she defended.

"You can be as careful as you want to be but someone is always watching," Sherry warned. She stood up only to sit down on Amber's own bed. She waited until Amber made eye contact with her before she said anything else. Amber reluctantly looked back at her. "If you really love Mark, you'll stop," Sherry said sadly with pleading eyes.

It was then that Amber's eyes filled with hot tears as she sighed in frustration. "I hate my life," she said quietly.

"Again, you're preaching to the choir," Sherry agreed. "You know that I am only saying this because I care about you, right? I'm not trying to ruin your life. I'm just trying to prevent nasty consequences. I wouldn't wish what happened to me or Dwight on anyone else."

Amber nodded. "I know," she finally said with sympathy. "I just didn't know it was going to be this hard. Mark and I were together before all of this happened. We started dating seven years ago. He's my best friend. It's just so hard to be without him."

"I know," Sherry condoled while reaching for Amber's hand and squeezed it tightly. She then stood up and walked towards the door but turned to Amber once more. "I'll leave you alone if you need to think and be by yourself. No one said that this life was going to be easy. But it's the only life we got."

Amber stared at the opposite wall and didn't make a sign that she acknowledged Sherry's words. Realization seemed to finally kick into Amber's psyche as Sherry felt bad to take away the hope that Amber had left. She knew that she was right to say something but it didn't make her feel better one bit. In a way, she felt like an accomplice to Negan's schemes in order to groom them and have them accept their pathetic lives. That was far from her intention as she only wanted to protect them from harm but it still played into Negan's favor whenever they were complacent.

Sherry opened the door not one bit surprised to see all of the girls beside the door and on the stairs while trying to eavesdrop on her and Amber's conversation. Megan's face got bright red as she smiled innocently at being caught. Sherry shut the door behind her and looked to the girls while thinning her eyes. "Nosy," she mouthed to all of them but winked to convey that she wasn't completely upset with them. They all fanned out as Sherry knew they heard her tell Amber that she had time to be alone with her thoughts.

"Did she take it well this time?" Christy inquired at the bottom of the stairs.

"Depends on your definition of _'well,'"_ Sherry started, "Is she going to make Negan happy by throwing away her own life? Then I guess, in that sense, she took it well."

"It's a shame," Megan lamented as she leaned against the bannister. "All of this is." Megan was no stranger to sadness of her own. She spent years watching Takuya or asking about him but couldn't so much as look directly at him for fear that it would invoke a jealous rage on Negan. Their lives were to merely walk on eggshells as the struggled to maintain a sense of self-worth and contentment.

"She needs to keep hearing it until she finally sees reason," Ashlyn interjected while standing beside Christy. "It's just easier to fly under the radar and do what's asked."

"Is that the lie we settled for?" Sherry mumbled and looked to all of them with empathy. "I miss the days where we were all like Amber."

They didn't say anything but nodded in silent agreement. Suddenly, they all heard a soft knock on the door as Sherry glanced to the others that she would take care of it whoever it was. Sherry opened it to see Carson with an uncomfortable look about him as he usually did when Negan's wives were around. They didn't wear lingerie often when confined to their homes but Yolanda told them that Negan wanted each of them "prepared" for when he returned from Alexandria. However, Sherry was used to Negan's bizarre antics more so than Carson was who didn't necessarily know where to look.

Carson's wary disposition looked more troublesome than usual as Sherry immediately felt anxious because of it. Instinctively, Sherry blocked the rest of the girls from view by closing the door behind her and stepping outside on the porch to have what seemed like a dismal conversation.

"What's wrong?" Sherry questioned. The feeling of panic emerged as her stomach churned. She forced it at bay and knew that she had to protect the other women from whatever impending danger fell ahead of them.

Carson drew a deep breath and shook his head while Sherry watched him unable to form words regarding the subject. "Um...Someone saw Mark and Amber...together...not too long ago," Carson stammered. "He's going to tell Negan when he gets back from Alexandria."

Sherry felt as if the wind got knocked out of her. She stayed still while trying to process what Carson said. Knowing what the penalty was, she dreaded the awful punishment that awaited both Mark and Amber. She took several deep breaths and attempted to regain some composure.

"When does he get back?" Sherry thought to ask.

"In a couple of hours," Carson confirmed.

"Let me talk to him before anything else happens regarding the subject," Sherry said. "Tell him that's the first thing he has to do before he talks to either Mark or Amber..."

Carson looked at her dumbfounded. "I can't tell him what to do," he complained and nodded to her. "Neither can you."

"No, but I can do my best to prevent some things from happening," Sherry said. "I just need to try."

He shook his head but sighed while glancing up to Sherry knowing to back away from her will to protect her friends. "Okay. I'll let him know. That doesn't guarantee that it's going to happen. Or that he'll even listen to you."

Sherry nodded knowing it was the best that she could do for the time-being. She hoped that Negan was in a good enough mood to hear her out. With a glance towards the house she sighed out of pity. Breaking the news to Amber was another trial that she didn't want facing her. After she spoke with Amber only moments before, it seemed that her friend understood the heavy consequences and would correct it for the future. Evidently, the revelation was simply too late. "I'll go break the news."

"Tell her that I did the best I could," Carson said quickly. "I thought of killing the guy that is going to rat them out but he already told his friends about it; it's all over Sanctuary at this point. The reward for keeping you guys in line is…"

"I know, higher rations," Sherry stated flatly. It hurt to know that anything she and the wives did could be used against them only so the other Saviors were at higher ranks or stature in Negan's army. They were merely pawns at times to keep others in check. "You did the best you could. Thanks for letting me know so I can break the news gently."

"It's the least I can do," Carson replied. "I'm sorry about all of this."

Without another word, Sherry walked into the house, closed the door, and leaned against it. While taking a couple of breaths, the memories rushed to the forefront of her mind to the day she forever wished to forget. Flashbacks started swarming towards her as she mentally was brought back to helplessly watching Negan put an iron to Dwight's face. The yell that he made from the pain was as fresh of a moment as if it only happened yesterday. It tore Sherry apart and shook her to the very core.

She closed her eyes and shook her head as she tried to calmly count to ten so as to settle her nerves. She needed to be strong for Amber. With that in mind, she slowly walked up the stairs to Amber's room to deliver the bad news. It killed her to know that what she said would change Amber's life forever.

…

Dwight took a lot of breaks while traveling to the closest outpost from Alexandria. He would periodically have to sit down and give his newly injured leg a rest before he limped even further.

What felt like the twentieth time of rest, Dwight took a seat on top of an abandoned car which looked far too rusted and out of shape for Dwight to try and revive it back to life. The fact didn't lift his spirits as he knew he still had a long trek ahead of him.

Dwight reached into his pocket for a cigarette and lighter only to quickly discover that neither were there. He then remembered that his jacket was confiscated his jacket soon after he was captured in their church building. "Motherfuck," Dwight mumbled and kicked the car beneath him lightly with his good leg. _The fuckers stole my cigarettes,_ he thought angrily.

He let out a huff of slight enragement when immediately he heard a loud splat noise from behind him. He turned to see a bridge over the highway and a walker which looked to have fallen over the ledge. On high alert, Dwight kept his gaze on the bridge for several minutes while waiting for a follow-up noise. There was nothing. He felt somewhat suspicious that a walker would have just toppled over the bridge on its own. They were mindless creatures but the ledge had to have been four feet tall. It would have likely brushed beside the ledge but then would have steered unevenly across the bridge as it went about its way.

He awkwardly held up his assault rifle towards the bridge directly over where the walker's body and waited several moments more. Nothing happened. He decided that perhaps the walker really did fall on its own and maybe saw him below. He put his gun down and started to make his way off the car as quietly as he could. When he was back on his two feet, he accidentally held all his bodyweight on his injured leg that stung like a thousand knives stabbed him all at once. He scrunched his face and gritted his teeth and didn't prepare for the initial shock like he should have. He cursed inwardly as he still tried to make zero noise. Regardless if it was quiet all around him, Dwight was on full alert.

He started making his way back to the outpost once more but then thought about what he was going to tell Takuya when he returned back. He couldn't wait to share the news with him and Yolanda that the McCoy family were in Alexandria. A worry started to form in the pit of his stomach regarding their whereabouts. If Rick was genuine about complying with Negan, he had nothing to fear on behalf of Jason's family. But if Rick didn't give in to Negan's request, Dwight was going to war against people whom he swore to protect ages ago. _His family._

Dwight felt absolutely at odds with himself as his entire being was dedicated to saving the lives of the people that he cared about. Ultimately, he knew where his true allegiance was so he had to go against Jason and Terri if it boiled down to it.

He kept on walking towards the outpost as he thought of the McCoy family. Another conflict overcame him again. As much as he didn't want to fight against Alexandria, he knew that Alexandria was the only group that could take Sanctuary on. Rick was a survivor and from his brief encounter with him, he knew he didn't take too kindly to someone telling him what to do. Even if it was someone as terrifying as Negan.

After several hours of stopping and walking, he finally made it to the outpost. He stopped fifty yards away from it to get a quick breather and wanted to check and see if his leg needed another bandage. About to unzip his pants to check, he heard the sound of a twig break behind him. Instantly on high alert again, he turned around with his gun aimed at whoever was stepping towards him. However, it was a Savior named Caleb who quickly put his hands up. Dwight knew he was assigned to the outpost and was beyond relieved to cease walking for the day.

"It's just me!" Caleb yelled. "Put the fucking gun down, Orlich!"

Dwight lowered his weapon as a melancholy feeling settled in. He was glad to no longer travel to Sanctuary on foot but hated the destination regardless as well as the people who resided there. _Home sweet home,_ Dwight thought sardonically.

"We thought you were a goner!" Caleb exclaimed.

Dwight shook his head. "Nope," he responded wondering about his luck himself. "I'm alive."

"Your friend that's been traveling behind you," Caleb asked while Dwight instantly furrowed his brow in question. "He from Alexandria?"

Not understanding what Caleb was talking about, Dwight shrugged a response but then thought about the bridge incident several hours earlier. Of course Rick would send someone to observe the Saviors. He was unsure what it meant for the future but he knew for certain that Rick's compliancy was all a ruse.

"We spotted you a mile away from the perch," Caleb explained. "Noticed that someone was on your tail as well. Why do you think we didn't wait for you at the tower?" Caleb reached for his walkie-talkie and brought it to his face. "John? Can you hear me?"

There was no response but then Dwight heard a small struggle in the nearby distance and knew the Saviors were confronting whoever had been following him. Dwight stood up and limped over to Caleb with gun in hand. "Do you know where they are?" He asked quickly.

Caleb nodded and started to head in the direction where the noise was coming from. Dwight followed and did his best to keep up even though he fought both exhaustion and pain. They walked seventy yards into the forest and as they stumbled upon five Saviors who were trying to take down a single man with angel wings on his leather sleeveless vest. It was the redneck from Alexandria.

He fought hard as he punched and flailed at every Savior that came his way. One of the Saviors grabbed him from behind as the redneck took all of his weight and leaned forward which made the Savior topple over on the ground in front of him. The redneck fell from the force but quickly scurried up then kicked the man's face who was still recovering on the forest floor. He swung at another man that was closing in as his fist landed squarely on the man's nose.

Caleb rolled his eyes at the scene and pointed his gun towards the redneck. "There is an easier way to take care of this piece of shit," he mumbled as he cocked the gun. Everyone backed away upon hearing it as the redneck stopped fighting and saw the weapon pointed at him. He glared at Caleb unafraid almost as if he dared him to pull the trigger.

"No," Dwight said forcefully to Caleb and lowered the gun for him. Dwight was unsure of how to keep the Alexandrian alive. However, his only other solution would simply buy the guy more time to live instead of dying at the hand of Caleb. "You know Negan will want to talk to him."

The redneck sneered at him from underneath his dark hair then stared down at the ground while breathing heavily. Knowing he was outnumbered, the Saviors held both of his arms and put them behind his back to bind him.

"I thought Rick said that you guys were going to do what Negan said from now on," Dwight commented as he watched the redneck get tied up.

"Don't hold yer breath," the redneck muttered.

Dwight gritted his teeth and hoped that Negan wouldn't unleash all of his brutality against Alexandria because of their evident defiance. In any case, it was going to cause problems for the McCoy family which made Dwight angry. He could have killed the redneck then and no one would have been the wiser but he knew Caleb would have said something to their boss only to be in Negan's favor. "Alright," Dwight seethed. "Let's get the car and head towards Sanctuary."

…

With a bound and gagged redneck in the back of their jeep, Caleb drove as Dwight ignored the man staring at the back of his neck with dagger eyes. However, tiredness took over him after only minutes in the car as he lulled off into slumber.

Dwight was surprised that he slept so quickly and even more surprised when the next minute they were already pulling up to the gates of Sanctuary. He turned to look at Caleb who gave him a look of guilt in return.

"What is it?" Dwight demanded groggily as Caleb tilted his head to the backseat of the jeep. Dwight turned around to see the ropes that held the redneck's hands together but the redneck was nowhere to be seen.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Dwight groaned as he brought his fingers to his forehead to rub his temples. He then glanced at Caleb with criticism. "Why didn't you wake me up when you noticed he was gone?"

"I thought you would be mad at me for waking you up," Caleb confessed but knew it sounded dumb when he voiced his concerns aloud.

Dwight thought of what could be done but realized Negan was unaware of the redneck's existence other than when he saw him several nights earlier. "Negan doesn't find out about this," Dwight commanded quietly as they pulled into Sanctuary. "You hear me?"

Caleb nodded in agreement. "Jesus Christ, Dwight. My ass would get it over yours. Guaranteed I will keep my mouth shut."

…

Dwight finally made his way to the house that he shared with Takuya and Yolanda and saw them both conversing on the porch. Yolanda was the first to spot Dwight and ran the rest of the way to greet him. It was the second hug that he received in the last two days. The feeling still seemed foreign to him.

"We thought you were killed!" Yolanda cried.

"They let me go," Dwight clarified as he put his hands on Yolanda's shoulders and looked down at her. "Jenna is alive," he said no longer able to keep the good news to himself. Jenna was Yolanda's daughter after all. She deserved no delay.

It took Yolanda a moment to register what Dwight had said but once it did, tears erupted as she placed a hand over her mouth. "You saw her? Where? In Alexandria?" She asked quickly giving him no time to answer.

"I saw Jason and Terri," Dwight explained. "But they said that she was alive. They have been in Alexandria since we last saw them." Takuya walked up to both of them and heard the conversation as he beamed brightly. It had been a long time since their small group received pleasant information.

"Sherry will want to hear about this," Dwight said to Yolanda knowing that they spoke to each other often. Yolanda's expression changed from happy to sad as she looked down to the ground. Dwight noticed her change in attitude and started to wonder if she was punished because he went missing. "Is she okay?"

Yolanda nodded and gave a sad stare. "She is with Amber," she said and lowered her voice while looking at Dwight's scar. "Saviors found out about her and Mark being with each other. You know what's going to happen when Negan returns."

Dwight's mouth formed into a tight line as he could almost feel his face burn from the thought. "Well, that's what happens," he said with a deep sigh. "Multiple people have warned both of them. It was only a matter of time when the wrong people would find out. I'm just sad that they have to learn the hard way."

They heard the front gate open as trucks started driving onto the streets of Sanctuary. "Speak of the devil," Yolanda muttered with wide eyes.

Dwight growled slightly as he hoped that he would have had more time to relax before he had to report to Negan about his whereabouts. "I guess I'll see you guys later."

…

Limping towards the gate to give Negan an obligatory welcome, Dwight watched as Negan got out of his truck and stared at Dwight with surprise. "We deal with walkers and now we deal with fucking ghosts?" He shouted and smiled to Dwight. "You made it back in one piece! Rick wasn't kidding when he said that he was going to do the shit that we asked him to do."

Dwight thought about the redneck that tailed him while the man was probably taking orders from Rick himself but he didn't bring it up. He knew that it would open up a can of worms of which he didn't feel ready to take the blame for.

"You see the shit that we brought with us?" Negan asked as he walked towards Dwight and patted him on the shoulder. He then stared at the trucks and drew out a satisfied breath. "Those poor fuckers have all these empty houses. We took a shitload of mattresses." He watched as the men started unloading their new merchandise. An entire truck was dedicated to what looked like just mattresses.

"Did we really need all of those?" Dwight questioned with a raised eyebrow. He didn't know of any Saviors that were sleeping on the floor.

"Well, I did say half of their shit," Negan defended with some warning in his voice. "Whether we need it or not, we fucking get half!"

"What the hell?" They suddenly heard a Savior exclaim from the truck that carried the mattresses. Gunfire erupted from the large vehicle as the Savior fell to the ground and was killed upon impact. A kid then emerged from the truck and opened fire upon all of Sanctuary. Dwight and Negan took cover behind another truck as did many others. Dwight knew others were less fortunate as he heard many cries of agony from men that were gunned down...by a kid.

Dwight slowly walked to the other side of the truck to try and spot the boy. The kid appeared to be in his teens but had the attitude of an Alexandrian. He was a fighter. Dwight shook his head as he saw the kid stopped firing his weapon once he realized that his ammunition was gone and started swinging it like a bat instead.

Dwight took his chance and ran towards the kid. He tried not to act surprised as he saw multiple Saviors come into his view that were already dead on the ground. The boy saw Dwight as he tried to find an opportunity to take his next opponent down. Dwight moved closer as the boy swung the gun towards him. Dwight dodged it then grabbed the gun with one hand as he then tackled the teenager to the gravel floor. He pushed him down with all of his might but the kid still fought and successfully punched Dwight on the cheek. Feeling a trickle of blood from the impact, he tried to grab the kid's arms and hold them down to his side.

"Dwight!" Negan exclaimed. Dwight turned around to see that Negan was all smiles despite several Saviors being dead on Sanctuary soil. "That's no way to treat our new guest."

Dwight breathed through his nose and shoved his anger away then walked away. Negan stepped closer to the kid and knelt down where the kid still sat on the gravel. The teenager was breathing heavily as he eyed Negan with hatred behind the glare. Negan chuckled slowly and looked at the kid. The kid had a piece of cloth wrapped around his right eye and definitely looked like he acclimated well to the dangerous surroundings of their new world.

"You're Rick's kid," Negan muttered. It wasn't a question.

The kid nodded but didn't say anything.

"What the fuck's your name?" Negan asked him.

"My name is Carl Grimes," the kid exclaimed with slight pride behind it even though his voice shook with rage. "And my dad is going to beat your ass to the ground."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Amber continued to wail on Sherry's shoulder as Sherry held her close. They both knew what was going to happen soon and they just heard the front gates open with the sound of victorious shouts that followed. Negan had returned from Alexandria.

"I...thought...we...were...being...careful…" Amber whispered in between pants of crying.

Sherry didn't find it fitting to say anything to Amber and only embraced her heartbroken friend. She could only support her as she cried openly for Mark. If she said anything, she felt as if it would be rubbing it in Amber's face that she was right the whole time. Negan always found out.

"I love him!" Amber cried. "It isn't fair!"

The scenario was becoming all too familiar to Sherry. Christy walked into the living room as Sherry gestured for her to come over. Christy did so and sat beside Amber to take Sherry's place. She had to get away for a moment to recollect herself before comforting Amber once more.

Sherry sat at the kitchen table and folded her arms while resting her head on top of it. She tried to zone out but was unable to concentrate with Amber's cries. What could she say to Negan that would make him go easy on Amber? She didn't know what she was going to say but she had to try and ease Amber's pain in any way only so she didn't have to endure the entirety of what Sherry was put through ages ago.

She hit her head softly on the table to try and keep the flashbacks at bay. Seeing Dwight beat to a bloody pulp as he tried to kill Negan followed by the iron made her want to puke at the thought. It was the most difficult memory that she had in the short life that she led. What was going on with Amber was too close for comfort.

Sherry heard someone knock on the door as Amber started to cry harder. They knew it was Negan ready to deliver her punishment. To Sherry's understanding, Negan had only hit her and none of the other wives. She didn't know if Amber would join the small club but would fight Negan off so she wouldn't have to. Sherry quickly walked to the door and opened it. Whether he wanted to talk to her or not, she was going to try and have him see reason before his brashness got the better of him.

Expecting to see Negan, she was surprised to see Yolanda instead. Grateful for more time to think, she stepped aside to let Yolanda in the house while the older woman beamed from ear to ear.

"Sherry!" Yolanda exclaimed and led Sherry into the kitchen while Sherry walked to the dining area to stand by the window. She wanted to be the first to know of Negan's arrival. "I have to tell you something! It's good news!"

Not really sure what could have been considered so great with everything happening, she then remembered that Yolanda would be one of the first to know if Dwight had returned from Alexandria or not. "Dwight?" Sherry questioned as she held her chest hoping it was the news she wanted to hear.

"He's alive," Yolanda clarified. "He's been shot but he's safe and he's recovering. That's not the news I had though." Sherry drew a sigh of relief that Dwight was safe but then furrowed her brows in question. Yolanda's eyes filled with tears as she smiled once more. "Dwight saw Jason and Terri!"

No longer paying attention to the window, she stared at Yolanda with disbelief. "What? Where?"

"They live in Alexandria," Yolanda explained. "Jenna is there too!"

Sherry put a hand to her mouth as a sob escaped. She hadn't experienced happy tears in a very long time. She needed the news but was overwhelmed with the multiple things that were happening on the same day. However, the mystery of Jason and Terri's whereabouts were officially discovered at last. For years, Sherry wondered if they lived, died, or suffered outside the walls of Sanctuary. She wanted to believe that the best result happened since Dean sacrificed his life for the sake that the children could escape from Negan's influence. Sherry hugged Yolanda while they both shared in the joy of their friends alive and well. However, she was aware that Negan took control of their community that they now resided in. She hoped that they would continue to fare well.

Suddenly, they heard gunshots near the entrance of Sanctuary as Sherry and Yolanda instinctively ducked low just in case a wandering bullet made its way towards the house. "What the hell is going on out there?" Sherry muttered low. Gunfire wasn't something that usually happened in Sanctuary. Enemies that Negan made never attacked their base before. And any executions that Negan made weren't made with guns. He appreciated the slower death and thought shooting someone was the easy way out. The noise was out of the ordinary and as much as Sherry should have been terrified, her curiosity was more so peaked.

"All I know is that they got back from Alexandria," Yolanda responded once the shots ceased. They all walked to the closest window to see if they could see anything but their house wasn't close to the front entrance to see anything of value. "Nothing to be too worried about, right?"

"Do...you...think…?" Amber asked from the living room.

"No, no, no," Sherry tried to reassure as she walked into the living room to comfort her friend once more. "Negan wouldn't try that. He has a specific punishment for Mark; he wouldn't kill him."

The other girls came from upstairs and into the living room. "What the hell is going on?" Ashlyn inquired as she stood beside Sherry.

"Gunshots by the entrance," Sherry said not knowing all the details. "We don't know anything beyond that."

"Should we be worried or excited?" Brittany asked. Since the incident with the iron and Dwight, Brittany had a different perspective of Negan. She still proclaimed her love for him often but tried to tell Sherry that he was misunderstood and that she was trying to reach out to him. Sherry didn't have the heart to tell how much of a lost cause it was.

"Excited only if the attacker is strong enough to take Negan's forces down," Jada uttered with her arms folded. "I haven't heard anything more than one heavy round from an assault rifle. It's probably nothing to be excited about."

Sherry knew Jada was right but watched out the window just in case a miracle happened. She even crossed her fingers.

…

"I'll personally give you a fucking tour of this place," Negan said joyfully to the boy named Carl Grimes. Dwight could see the strong resemblance Carl had to his father, the one and only Rick Grimes. "Dwight! Go wash your face off! The kid got you good!" Negan then said with a burst of laughter. Subconsciously, Dwight put a hand to his right cheek and felt the blood on his palm. He was impressed with the kid but a little disheartened that he almost got bested by a teenager.

Dwight hesitated as he started to worry about the well-being of the kid. Carl being unarmed and outnumbered looked just as puzzled as Dwight was. He didn't understand why Negan was being so friendly to him as the kid probably went on a suicide mission for Negan's head. Negan started walking towards the heart of Sanctuary as Carl reluctantly followed while eyeing everyone around him skeptically.

The fun wore off as the Saviors went about cleaning up after the boy's mess which started with disposing the bodies of the men that were recently deceased. Dwight started walking towards his house as Takuya was still standing on the porch with a gun in hand. He looked around Sanctuary in obvious alarm. He saw Dwight approach and look to him in question. "Walker herd?" He asked. "First one in a long time."

"No," Dwight clarified. "Some kid from Alexandria smuggled his way into one of our loading trucks. He's the leader's son."

Takuya still looked apprehensive and then spotted Dwight's limp. "How bad is it?"

Dwight shrugged in response. "It'll be right as rain once I finally sit the fuck down," he said in mild irritation. All he wanted was to sleep for the rest of the day. "I have been walking all day."

"Carson just told me that there will be a town meeting in front of the courthouse in two hours," Takuya told. "Let's get a new bandage on your wound before then. Negan wants everyone there."

"Of course he does," Dwight mumbled as he made his way up the porch and into the house. "Do we have bandages inside?"

Takuya nodded as he followed him. "We do. I'll get some from the kitchen," he said as Dwight sat down on the living room couch. He felt his whole body relax and was grateful to finally rest after a long day of traveling from Alexandria. He almost wished that he asked Rick if he could bring the Gila with him but knew even then it would have been a stupid thing to ask since it nearly knocked their fence down when he drove it before.

Takuya came into the living room with some gauze and dressings. Dwight held his hand out for it and smiled in a thank you. "I can take care of it."

"Did you get stitches for it?" Takuya asked as he sat down in the living room opposite of Dwight.

"I did," Dwight said as he unbuckled his pants so he could get to his wound. The pants fell to the floor with his boxers still on and could see a little bleeding from underneath the previous bandage. "Do I have any cigarettes in my room?" He asked Takuya.

"I can check if you want me to," Takuya replied without waiting for an answer and headed up the stairs. Dwight uncovered his wrappings and saw the stitches were still intact much to his surprise. He hadn't been exactly careful with them on the walk to the closest outpost.

Takuya came back down and shook his head. Dwight's shoulders immediately slumped down as he picked up some water and washed the area around his injury as best as he could.

"Stitches look good," Takuya commented.

"Terri did them," Dwight said. "She was very thorough."

"It's weird to talk about them again. And to know that they're alive," Takuya said.

Dwight nodded. "It was weird to _see_ them again."

"Are they happy in Alexandria?" Takuya asked.

"Tak, Alexandria is a community that I wished we stumbled upon before we even came into contact with Sanctuary. The people there are different. The leader does what's best for his people. The people respect him because he deserves it and not because he took it. And Negan will take it all away. Whether or not they listen to him, he will find a way to make them dependent on him and only him. It's only a matter of time," Dwight said.

"Are they big in numbers?" Takuya asked.

"If we sent all of our able bodied Saviors after them, they would be fucked," Dwight said. "Unfortunately, they don't stand a chance in overpowering Negan."

Takuya looked dejected as Dwight finished wrapping his bandage up.

Dwight gazed at his friend and smirked slightly. "If they play their cards right, _maybe_ they could take Negan out. But that's a big maybe. More power to them if they do."

Takuya clasped his hands together and brought them up to his face as his rested his chin on them. "I hope they do."

"Me too," Dwight agreed and pulled his pants back on. He decided to take a small nap before the town meeting. The one that he was sure was going to make him sick to his stomach.

…

Sherry sent Amber to her bedroom and assured her multiple times that she would try and talk to Negan before he did anything. She made that promise to her and no matter what, she had to see it through for Amber's benefit. However, when there was a knock on the door, Sherry's heart sunk. The speech that she had prepared in her head immediately vanished as she tried to calm herself down again. She didn't know what kind of attitude that he would be in. She remembered Negan getting on top of her and choking her out when he discovered that she slept with Dwight. Knowing he could very well be in a deadly state of mind, she timidly opened the door to see him grinning as his dimples appeared from under his regular five o'clock shadow.

"What are you so happy about?" Sherry asked with a surprised tone thinking that he would have acted furious for what Amber and Mark did.

"We have a visitor," he said at the same time that Sherry stepped out onto the porch then gestured to a teenaged boy standing to her right.

Not seeing him before, Sherry's face got instantly red as she folded her arms over her stomach to cover herself up as much as she could with only wearing a bra and underwear. "Negan," she practically scolded. "He's just a kid."

Negan snorted then grabbed her hands and forced them to her sides. "Don't worry," he assured with a smile still on his face. "I gave him permission to look as much as he fucking wants to."

Sherry kept her eyes down but noticed the kid was politely staring upwards at the porch ceiling while acting disinterested in the spectacle that Negan was trying to show.

"Where the fuck are my manners?" Negan asked and lightly hit the side of his face in feigned shame. "Carl Grimes, this is my beautiful wife Sherry. Sherry, this is Carl Grimes. He's from one of the communities that I manage; Alexandria to be exact." He turned his attention to Carl and nodded towards Sherry while still holding her hand. "Isn't she fucking beautiful?"

Carl quickly glanced towards Sherry and tried to keep eye contact but then stared back up to the ceiling. "Yeah," he said quietly.

Negan looked very amused at Carl's awkwardness. "Oh, come on, son," Negan said in exasperation as he ran his hand across Sherry's back and brought her into a tight hug and picked her up off her feet. "You had to have picked up a Playboy magazine or two."

Sherry just held her breath until his display was finished. The second that he put her down on the porch, she put a hand up to his chest and stared intently to let him know that she needed him to be serious for a moment. "We need to talk."

Negan rolled his eyes but met her eye line. "Carson said that you wanted to but I already know what you are going to say."

"Just promise me that you will go easy on her," Sherry said sternly. "She knows what she did was wrong."

"Then she knew what the punishment was before she even did it," Negan challenged back at her.

"That aside, I _want_ you to go easy on her," Sherry maintained.

"You have been making a lot of fucking requests lately," Negan muttered as he appeared to be considering her demands. Rather, he considered what his compromise would be for such a request. Carl just stood on the porch and watched the whole exchange between "husband and wife." Not a lot of people bossed Negan around which was for good reason. However, Sherry always had a tendency to push his buttons. Sherry stood a whole foot shorter than Negan but she still held her ground and stared up at him unwilling to budge on the matter. Even Carl was taller than she was but neither her height nor her gender were going to make her ease up on behalf of Amber. She needed to do what was best to protect her.

"Name your demands specifically and I'll name my price," Negan stated with a playful grin and a wink.

Sherry glared at him as her face reddened. "Really?" She asked almost with gritted teeth in an agonized tone.

"You should know by now that I'm not a donor," Negan joked. "Come on, Sherry. Tell me what you want and I'll tell you what I want in return." He touched her bare skin on her side as Sherry knew where he was getting at. _Your job is to protect your friends now,_ Sherry thought. _From more than they know._

"Leave Amber alone for two months," Sherry settled. "Give her some time to think and process some things. Don't _touch_ her in any way. That's my request."

"Sounds reasonable," Negan answered back and stepped closer to her. "Two months with you. Every single fucking night."

Sherry gulped and knew her answer before she even said it. She already promised Amber that she would help her and wanted to stay true to her word. "Okay," she whispered.

Negan huffed and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Fine, I'll go easy on her," Negan said but ultimately sounded more satisfied with their agreement than he would have been before. "That doesn't mean that I will go easy on Mark. I still have to show the rest of the Saviors what happens when they break a rule. But I _will_ go easy on her. Happy now?"

Sherry nodded once. "Very."

Negan smiled again and planted a kiss on her lips as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Good!" He exclaimed. "Now can I come in?"

She opened the door for him as he walked into the house followed by the reluctant teenager. "Where is she?" Negan asked Sherry.

"She's upstairs in her room," Sherry responded.

"You stay the fuck down here," Negan ordered her. "I don't need you to supervise my conversation with her. I know you want to." He then addressed the teenager. "You keep my wife some company, okay. Look, but don't touch." With that, Negan walked up the stairs to Amber's room.

The teenager kept staring at the walls and didn't make eye contact with Sherry. He had a piece of cloth wrapped around his head that covered his right eye. He appeared to Sherry as if he felt guilt ridden and forlorn. She wondered what it was like to grow up in a world like theirs. He seemed to be doing alright but he carried a sadness with him like he would a sleeve.

"What brought you to Sanctuary?" Sherry asked to try and spur some conversation. She couldn't help but feel some instinct to try and cheer him up. She had done that for the past several years when speaking to Negan's other wives.

Carl looked to her while curious of her motives in asking as if she would use the information against him in some way or another. "I brought myself," he revealed. "Negan killed one of my friends so I wanted to kill him."

"Yeah… I know the feeling," Sherry replied honestly. Carl stared at her somewhat taken aback that she would say something like that in regards to her spouse. However, he didn't know the whole story. "I'm sorry that you are here."

He nodded in agreement. "It was a stupid choice to come," Carl admitted.

Sherry wanted to concur. She didn't know a lot of people that were able to escape from Sanctuary. However, she decided to remain positive for the sake of the boy. "You never know. You could luck out soon enough."

Carl smirked at her attempt of zeal but nodded. "Maybe for you too," he stated then glanced back at the wall in front of him.

She smiled as a shadow befell her. "I don't really hold much hope for myself anymore," Sherry confessed. "I think I might be in this for the long haul." She didn't know what persuaded her to be so blunt with the teenager that she barely knew. Perhaps she was reminded of what she used to be like for the first six months in their new world. She could relate to the kid who had a deep hatred for Negan.

Sherry didn't know how long Negan was going to be talking to Amber. She could vaguely hear her friend crying upstairs as she forced herself to stay put on the main floor. She wanted to protect the girl but decided the best thing was to have Negan speak with her all by himself as he would get furious with Sherry for trying to intervene when they already had a bargain in place.

Staring around the house, she tried to find a way to get her mind off the situation and make the scared teenager more at ease with his surroundings. Then she thought of an idea. "Do you like comic books?" She asked. Carl looked to her with more than mild intrigue and nodded eagerly in reply. Sherry gestured towards the living room. "Follow me."

She walked into the living room beside the bookcase and knelt down. Carl followed her lead as she pointed to the bottom shelf. His eyes widened at the whole row which was dedicated to an entire collection of various comic books. Without a second thought, he started grabbing comics one by one and thumbing through each title and issue number with a small smile forming on his face. Despite being in a dismal situation that was still unknowing, Sherry noticed how well the teenager adapted to heavy circumstances compared to even the bravest of adults. He was a kid who was used to stepping outside of his comfort zone but also used to taking hard hits. His countenance was evident with the way that he carried himself.

Sherry grinned warmly to let him know that she was a friend and someone that he could trust if he stayed in Sanctuary for a long period of time. Carl averted his gaze towards the comic book in his hand and started to turn the page just looking at the pictures in a state of awe.

"Do you like Wolverine?" She asked.

Carl nodded. "I think Cyclops is more of my favorite," he said then pointed nonchalantly at the piece of cloth over his right eye. "I can relate."

"Do you mind if I ask how that happened?" Sherry inquired.

He glanced up to her and shrugged. "Someone tried to shoot my dad and I stepped in front of him," he responded simply but almost self-consciously. Carl went back to studying the comics' illustrations as if the subject matter didn't bother him.

Sherry's heart sank for the teenage. She knew that he was a survivor like everyone else but it took guts to sacrifice his own self for his father. "Did you save him?" She asked. "Your dad?"

Carl nodded with a light smirk. "He's the leader of Alexandria."

Sherry looked towards all the comic books on the shelf and smiled. "I feel like all of these guys in these comics are put to shame compared to you," she confessed. She didn't mean to patronize. She meant it. Reaching her hand up to the bookshelf, she searched through the comics until she stumbled upon the issues that she was looking for. "We only have six issues of this series but luckily it's the first volume," she started and handed _The Astonishing X-Men_ comics to Carl. "Take 'em. We have a lot of reading material in this house and a lot of time on our hands. And we have all read them already. These ones focus a lot on Cyclops storyline-wise."

Carl gaped at her then stared at the six issues with Cyclops being on the front cover. "Are you sure?"

She nodded confidently. "Positive."

Carl put the comics on his lap as he looked around the room then back to her with a questioning gaze. "Why are _you_ here?"

"Someone tried to kill my friends," Sherry revealed softly as she looked down to the floor. "I'm just doing my best to make sure that no one else has to die."

She knew that he was smart enough to connect the dots himself without her going into detail as he did in fact nod that he understood. They then heard footsteps come down the stairs as Negan soon came into view with a smile. "Well, look at that. Comic books and a half naked woman. What more could a boy ask for?"

Sherry gave Carl an apologetic smile as she stood up and walked towards the stairs to check on Amber. While passing Negan, he grabbed her forearm tightly and held her in place to stand firmly next to him. She stopped and looked up at him.

"I love you," Negan uttered. "I did what you asked and went easy on Amber. Now do you have anything to fucking say to me?"

"Thank you," Sherry whispered slowly.

He smiled and gently patted her on the rear. "Town meeting in an hour," he announced but then winked slyly. "After that, I expect to see you tonight at my house where I can thank _you_ in return."

With that, he released her arm as she nodded and walked up the stairs. Half of Sherry wanted to comfort Amber throughout the whole ordeal. The other half wanted to curl into a ball and cry. The memories kept on replaying in her head as she knocked on Amber's door. Someone else was going to feel the exact same pain that she felt. Not all of it thanks to her bargain she made with Negan but it still made her heart ache.

…

"Devotion!" Negan yelled to his men. "That's really all that I ask for! From all of you! The code protects all of you! If keeps you safe! When you fuck with the code, you fuck with me! And everyone must deal with the consequences!"

All the Saviors were in front of the courthouse and shouted at the top of their lungs for retribution. Sherry looked around and saw nearly everything was exactly the same as it was the day that Dwight got ironed. Mark was already on his knees being held by many Saviors. Sherry could only assume that Negan didn't want another spectacle like the last time where Dwight nearly choked him to death. The only major difference was that it wasn't raining like it was before. Sherry knew what the doctor said at Sanctuary's infirmary. If it weren't for the rain to cool the iron down before impact, Dwight's scar would have been severely worse.

Another difference was the teenager who stood beside Negan in clear shock as started to connect the dots with what was going to take place. He would occasionally stare at the iron over the fire and then towards Marks. Each time that he did so, his eye would grow wider with concern and disbelief.

Amber cried into her hands as Sherry tried to avert her gaze in case she decided to look up at the scene. Sherry did her best to zone out herself and forced her gaze downward while Negan went on about his speech to the Saviors. She could feel a panic attack surfacing as she shut her eyes closed and tried to imagine being in a different place. Sherry tried to force a lighthearted vivid memory to conjure up in her head which she usually did when she could feel herself become lost in a suffocating situation.

A crippling memory came instead as she heard Negan pick up the iron. She recalled Dwight being held down by Saviors while bloodied and broken both physically and mentally. Then she heard Mark's actual scream and held onto Amber tightly as her friend echoed her own cry of terror. Sherry continued to keep her eyes closed as she wished that it would end soon. She didn't have the frame of mind to go deeper into her own psyche than she already was. She was already reaching the breaking point.

Then she opened her eyes. Mark fell to the floor passed out from the unbearable pain similar to what happened to Dwight. Sherry thought she was going to throw up as she felt a tear fall down her cheek. It was as if she was snapped back to that terrible day. She could almost hear lightning in the background with how powerful the memory was. It felt like the exact same day as she saw Mark's unconscious body on the ground with Negan standing menacingly above him. Sherry searched the crowd eagerly. She needed to get back to reality and needed to see that Dwight was okay; that her personal nightmare was a thing of the past.

Suddenly, she spotted him in the front of the crowd. However, he wasn't looking at Mark or shouting like all the other Saviors were. He only had his eyes on her with the same haunted expression on his face that she thought mirrored her own. Every time that she saw him on the streets of Sanctuary, she would immediately avoid him but this time she forced herself to stare at him so they could share from a distance the same pain they still felt from so long ago. And in that moment she knew that he still cared for her. More tears emerged as she continued to hold Amber who cried onto Sherry's shoulder. Knowing that Dwight still loved her made it all the worse. Life didn't get better for them. It never would.

…

Nighttime encircled Sanctuary as Rick overlooked its location from a distance. He was above the point of worry for Carl and his safety. When he found out Carl was missing, he knew exactly where he was. The Saviors took him. For that Rick was furious. He didn't know what sick game the Saviors were playing at by taking his son but it wasn't something that Rick was going to accept. The anger he felt sent him straight to Sanctuary's doorstep. He no longer cared about relenting to Negan or trying to pretend that he was. He only wanted the man dead.

"We just walked in between two outposts," Daryl said while looking behind him. "No one should know that we're here 'til we're inside them walls." He then looked to Rick as they stared at Sanctuary. "Ready?"

Rick nodded affirmatively. "Let's get Carl back." He glanced towards the other Alexandrian's that came with him on the rescue mission. They came along with Paul Monroe, who some called Jesus, who was just as eager as their community was to take Negan down. Whatever it took, they needed to fight. Whatever the cost was had to be better than a man that had already killed their people and kidnapped his child. He turned to face Sanctuary again and took a deep breath. "Let's get our lives back."

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES, TRIVIA, & FACTS -**

 **#1 -** _ **The Astonishing X-Men**_ **is a comic series by none other than Joss Whedon & John Cassaday. Definitely worth looking up. Issues #1-24 are all Whedon/Cassaday. Storyline expands beyond that though. I think the last issue is #35? Anyways, correct me if I'm wrong.**

 **#2 - So I changed the storyline of how Carl got his eye shot out. Instead of it being an accident from Jessie's kid after getting impaled by Michonne, I switched the order. Jessie's kid (name escapes me because I really don't give a crap about that stupid kid) points his gun at Rick, Carl sees it and steps in the way just in time before Jessie's kid pulls the trigger, THEN Michonne impales him. I thought the set-up of his arms going limp (ish? They were still pointing upwards) was kind of flawed and unrealistic. But if Jessie's kid pulled the trigger with the intent to kill? Now we're talking!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Dwight stood in Sanctuary's bar with much needed alone time. He went straight there as soon as the town meeting was finished. For hours he just sat at the bar and did nothing but stare at a wall. There was so much confusion. What purpose did his life have? Was he meant to be miserable for the rest of his days? He didn't have answers for either question yet he continued to ask himself over and over again. It was moments like that day where he felt at his lowest that he had ever been. However, he wasn't at a place where he could change a thing about his circumstances. He was still a mindless soldier among Negan's army.

Watching the sunset from the window, Dwight was hell bent on getting drunk that night. Everyone went off and did their own thing at night if they weren't called on guard duty or at outposts. Most of the men were at the mill having a good time before they slumped off to bed. Dwight was satisfied with his solitude. Especially after what had been a very trying day.

He looked on the other side of the bar and saw a whole bottle of unopened Jim Beam and started unscrewing the lid while sitting on a barstool. Not even bothering with trying to find a clean glass, he brought the bottle to his lips and chugged three shots worth of whiskey. Dwight placed the bottle down then rested his elbows on the flat surface as he rested his head in his hands. He rubbed at his temples with a groan but looked to the bottle again. He didn't consider himself an alcoholic before but started thinking that being a heavy drinker wasn't the worst thing to be.

There were many things that led Dwight to take several more drinks of whiskey. He felt justified knowing his leg ached and the alcohol would ease his pain. However, he had other reasons that he deemed far more unmanageable without the help of the toxic liquid.

Knowing that Jason and Terri were alive the whole time with the life he wanted for himself hurt. He was extremely jealous of them and wished that he could bring Haruki back from the dead only to kill him again. So much could have been different if they had escaped. He drank to wash down the grief that had been building up for years.

Dwight drank more for Sherry. He couldn't watch the scene with Mark at all and instead focused all of his attention on her. It looked to him as if she were fighting the demons of their past as well. They were unable to speak to each other for a very long time. He didn't know where she stood in regards to Negan. He wondered where her desires even were and if she even _wanted_ to escape anymore. Or if she even liked _him_ at all.

But then she looked toward him during the town meeting as Dwight received his answer. She still loved him. What was worse was that knowing she still felt the same towards him didn't make him feel remotely better. For that, he took another shot as a chance to actually be with the woman he loved was one in a trillion.

The room started to spin while he tried to focus on one thing to keep from getting dizzy. He stared at the bottle which was now three quarters empty with slight irritation. Dwight was hoping that all of his emotions would vanish however the alcohol only made it bubble to the surface even more than before.

Suddenly, his head hit the bar as Dwight snapped his face upward immediately after impact in confusion. Plastered more than he thought, he stared outside to see it was pitch black. Sunset had long since passed as he spent however many hours drinking whiskey to himself.

Dwight would have probably been concerned with alcohol poisoning in his earlier life but it didn't matter to him anymore. He decided to walk around the bar as he took clumsy steps off the bar stool and noticed that at least his leg injury didn't hurt him as much. Leaning against the pool table, he stared down at the floor blankly for several minutes but as more concerning thoughts arose, a smile turned into a laugh. He couldn't help but pathetically laugh at himself. His life was miserable and he took humor in that while in his drunken state.

"Fucked up," he muttered to himself and grabbed a cue stick that rested on the pool table. The amusement subsided instantly while pity and fury took over. He tightened his grip on the stick with clenched fists as he literally shook from the overwhelming anger that he felt.

He shouted loudly as he brought the cue stick over his head then slammed it onto the table. It broke in two as splinters flew around it but Dwight continued to hit the remains that were still in his hands. When he only had a small bit of the stick left, he threw it at the closest brick wall.

"GODDAMMIT!" Dwight yelled as he took the pool balls that were on top of the billiard table. When he grabbed one, he threw it at the wall behind the bar as it completely shattered a bottle that was half empty of alcohol. Satisfied with his mode of destruction, he kept on throwing the balls at the wall as the sound of more glass breaking rang out every time.

When he was finished he slumped to the floor and laid down. He tried his best before not let himself think of how truly tragic his life was. It all came to him now during the time that he was trying to escape his feelings the most. He _hated_ his life. He wanted a way out so bad but couldn't see an end in sight. _Sherry was right,_ he thought. Sherry didn't believe that there was a better life for them anymore. Dwight finally had to accept that it was going to be the same until his last dying breath.

Much to his annoyance, the door opened. "Hey dipshit, I need you to babysit the kid for me," he heard Negan's irritating voice say followed by a whistle as he undoubtedly looked at the trashed bar. "Wow, you made a fucking mess with this place."

Dwight sat up and saw Negan and Carl standing at the bar entrance. "You can't leave him with anyone else?" Dwight spat as he glared at Negan. He stood up and awkwardly walked to the bar stool next to where his bottle of Jim Beam sat.

Negan shook his head. "I don't trust anyone else. I trust you drunk more than the Saviors even if they're sober. Besides, I can't watch him because _my_ agenda is completely full tonight with Sherry. We're gonna screw like there is no tomorrow."

Dwight quickly picked up the bottle next to him and threw it towards Negan. Negan stepped to the side just in time as the bottle shattered when it hit the wall next to the door. "You're a fucking dick!" Dwight said angrily and gruffly. "I'm _not_ watching him because you're fucking _busy_. Fucking figure it out yourself."

Negan started laughing. "Thanks, man. I owe you one." He looked around the bar with distaste. "Clean this fucking mess up before you leave." And in that instant, Negan left. Carl stood all by himself unsure of what to do.

"Fuck," Dwight mumbled as he looked at the kid. "Fine! Sit over here."

The kid slowly and cautiously took a seat on a bar stool next to Dwight.

With a huff, Dwight walked to the back of the bar and stepped over the broken glass to look at the bottles that he had missed when throwing the billiard balls. "Want some?" He asked the teenager.

The boy shook his head solemnly.

Dwight shrugged. "Suit yourself." With that, he picked up a bottle that didn't interest him at all. He raised the bottle high above his head. "To Negan," he chuckled darkly as he just threw the bottle on the ground instead of drinking it.

Carl just sat silently as he watched Dwight continue to look for more alcohol that he liked. "Do you not like it here?" Carl asked.

Dwight snorted. "It would be the understatement of the century if I said that I hate it here," he disclosed. "Negan's an asshole. All the other Saviors aren't any better. Honestly, kid, my life is a fucking mess."

"Why do you stay?" Carl asked.

"Because Negan won't let me leave," Dwight replied simply. "And here I am wondering why the fuck you left Alexandria to come _here_. Why would you ever want to leave that place? You don't know how lucky you are to live there. And who the fuck knows if you're ever going to see it again." Dwight could hear his words slur together slightly when he spoke.

"Negan killed my friend," Carl defended boldly.

"He's killed a lot of people. Your friend wasn't the exception," Dwight said. "He killed two of _my_ friends. Didn't even hesitate. You think you're the only that has a bone to pick with him? Get in line."

Dwight looked in the cabinets beneath the bar and saw a bottle. He picked it up and looked at the label. "Holy shit! Someone must have tried to hide this baby." He held the bottle up to show Carl. "Stagg. Best bourbon in the world." He then opened the bottle as he continued to talk. "Any happiness you could have in this world is taken away by Negan. He holds it hostage so you do whatever he asks you to do before he completely destroys it. And can I do anything about it? Fuck no! All I can do is take orders one day at a time." Dwight tried to hold the bottle up to his mouth to drink more.

"You sure you should be drinking that stuff?" Carl asked him. Dwight could hear almost a taunting tone in the kid's voice.

"What are you? My mother?" Dwight asked. "Well, you can't be. She's dead." With that, he took a large gulp and immediately knew it was a terrible idea.

Carl was quiet for a second but looked as if he had something on his mind and finally spoke up. "My mom's dead too."

"Oh boo hoo!" Dwight mumbled with a smirk being unsympathetic while the kid was attempting to relate to him. He realized his mistake when the boy looked down at his lap. Dwight could assume the kid was thinking about the time he lost his mother. "Fuck. I'm sorry. How did she die?" He asked with more concern in his voice.

"She gave birth to my sister," Carl said quietly.

"Was this before or after everything went down?" Dwight asked genuinely curious.

"After," Carl said. "I had to shoot her before she came back as a walker."

"Jesus…" Dwight whispered then looked down at the bar counter top as he thought of when his brother died. "I can empathize with that. Both of my parents died in a car accident when I was in high school. It's not fun." He held the bottle up to Carl again. "You sure you don't want any?" He asked. "We could _both_ drink to our lives being a fucking mess."

Carl shook his head again. "I'm thinking of leaving tonight."

Dwight looked at the kid with seriousness but then burst into laughter. "Good luck with that."

…

It was difficult _not_ to be aroused when she spent nights with Negan. Sherry hated denying it but it was the truth. They spent nearly two years being intimate with each other. It had been a long time since Sherry resisted. A part of her felt guilty because of it. However, a selfish part of her craved being close to someone. With how isolated she felt, she didn't care who gave it to her just as long as she received it. Sherry knew it was more than just yearning to feel something as she indeed gained some, even if in its smallest measurement, felt affection for Negan. How could she not? Despite him being cruel to her, he was always quick to make her happy in his own way. She acclimated to survive in Sanctuary. And she hated herself for it.

He held her back as she could feel his forearm muscles tightening as they both sat in the middle of the bed. She straddled him and held the back of his neck with both hands while trying to stifle a moan aching to be released as he quickened his thrusts. She hated the way he made her feel. And when she wasn't with him, she hated that she craved the feeling and wanted it to return.

If she was being completely honest with herself, more often than not, she would close her eyes and think of Dwight. She would pretend that it was him making her feel the way she did instead of Negan.

"Say it," Negan demanded tenderly as he kissed her chest just beneath her throat. He picked up his pace as more adrenaline surged through her. Her face felt flushed as the warmth persisted and increased.

Sherry drew out a breath while she painted for more air. The feeling escalated as she couldn't hold it any longer. Succumbing to Negan's passion, she continued to breathe heavily as Negan let out his own moan as he reached his own climax in response to hers. Sherry arched her back slightly while her body reacted to what she was experiencing internally. And yet despite what she was feeling, a tear escaped as she let out a whimper. The craving subsided and her world was just as dismal and confusing as it was before.

Negan rested his forehead on her shoulder as he groaned one last time. "Fuck, that was good," he breathed and kissed her jawline several times. "Two months of this and I'm not gonna know what to do with myself."

He gently changed their position and laid her on the bed as he got up and walked to the bathroom. Sherry wiped at the tears that stung her eyes as she slowly sat up. She expected that being with Negan would get easier over time. It didn't.

She stayed on the bed as she shook visibly while the adrenaline faded off. Watching Negan, he stared at her with a smile and a wink then put his clothes back on. Sherry hurriedly put her bra and underwear as she tried to calm herself down. Negan detected her change in attitude and quickly walked over to her then placed his hands on her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" He asked with concern.

She shook her head vehemently. "Nothing," she feigned. As much as Negan tried to care, he didn't understand the reasons that she cried. To avoid his bad side, she just ended up doing what she knew he liked and hugged him close as he returned the gesture.

"You know that I love you, Sherry," Negan whispered into her ear. "Right?"

She nodded. Sherry knew very well that Negan loved her which was why her life was a hell on earth.

"You didn't say it when I asked you to earlier," Negan said while mentioning his previous plea. "Do you love me too?"

Sherry nodded again.

Negan held her closer. "Good girl."

They made eye contact just as Sherry was going to tell him that she wanted to go back to her house. Before she could say anything, they both heard gunshots nearby that riddled through like a machine gun. Negan immediately pushed Sherry and himself to the ground while her shielded her from the bedroom window just in case bullets started flying in their direction. Sherry stared up and saw the night sky light up as she could hear the commotion outside intensify. Negan held the back of her head and looked to the window as well with disbelief.

"What the fuck?!" He asked loudly as the sound of gunshots started fading away to another spot in Sanctuary. He waited while still on top of her as she could feel his heart beat out of his chest. "Sounds like whatever it is might be heading towards the motherfucking mill." He pushed off the ground then helped Sherry to her feet.

"Are we being attacked?" Sherry asked. She didn't want to get her hopes up but still desired that whoever bombarded Sanctuary would win.

"I don't know," Negan answered while walking towards the dresser and opening the drawer. He then produced two pistols already attached to belt holsters. He put them around his middle as fast as he could while paying attention to where the action was headed outside.

"Sherry, I need you to stay here. Lock the front door behind me when I leave then get back upstairs to take cover behind the bed," Negan ordered as he went to the nightstand for another gun. He kept it in his hand and checked to see if it was loaded. Satisfied that it was, he took a deep breath then stepped towards Sherry. He stared her directly in the eyes as Sherry could see uneasiness form on his face. It was the first time that she ever saw him look vulnerable. It was shocking. He brought a hand up to her face and brushed Sherry's cheek. "Can you do that for me, please?"

She nodded quickly and with wide eyes. "Yeah," she replied. She would have offered to help with a gun but knew that Negan would worry about her shooting other Saviors instead of their supposed enemy.

Negan swiftly kissed her on the lips as they walked downstairs hand to hand. When they would pass a light switch, Negan would turn them off as darkness filled the house each time that he did so. He held his gun close and kept Sherry behind him so she wouldn't be exposed to any of the windows.

Once they got to the front door, Negan glanced towards Sherry once more and gave her a final kiss before he left the house. "You lock that door the second I leave," Negan pleaded with her. There was an underlying feeling that came over Sherry. She was _worried_ for him.

"Be safe," she heard herself utter before realizing that she said it.

He nodded to her as placed a hand on the doorknob. She nodded in return that she was ready to do what he asked. With that, he quickly left his house and was gone in a flash. She closed the door behind him and put a hand on the lock. Before turning it, she stopped herself. She couldn't describe it but she had a strong feeling that she should keep the door unlocked. She didn't know who the people were that attacked Sanctuary. She didn't know if they were any better than the Saviors. Yet something kept her from locking the door.

 _You'll be okay,_ a voice said in her head. She didn't know where the voice came from but she felt inclined to listen to her intuition. Turning her back away from the door, she went against Negan's wishes and left the house unlocked. She slowly walked up the stairs and went back into his bedroom and sat next to the bed.

She continued to breathe slowly as she tried to think whether or not she actually wanted someone to come into the house while she remained unarmed. She wondered what would happen if someone snuck inside. Would they kill her? Did she want to die? Was the little voice in her head trying to fulfill a death wish?

Her heart stopped at the sound of the front door opening slowly and quietly. When her pulse came back, it started to pound as she waited for another sound to follow the front door eerily creaking to a close. She almost held her breath as she waited behind the bed. She sat petrified and continued to wait. Then to her dismay and alarm, she heard footsteps walking up the stairs.

…

Gunshots began firing as Dwight and Carl both took cover behind the bar counter. Bullets riddled the wall above them and rained throughout the entire bar. Dwight took his gun out and clumsily tried to look behind the counter top and towards the windows. To his surprise, he spotted some familiar faces from Alexandria and started to laugh. "Looks like you really are leaving tonight," he said to Carl and sat back down in a huff.

Carl popped his head out of their hiding place and smiled slightly. "That's my group," Carl confirmed then got back down for cover. He then stared at Dwight with apprehension then towards his gun thinking there was no way that Dwight could let him escape.

Dwight stared down at the gun as well and sighed. He didn't know what the repercussions were going to be but he decided that Negan shouldn't have expected much from a drunken man in the first place. Carl flinched as Dwight held the gun towards the kid. But instead of aiming it at him, he handed it over for Carl to take.

"Better meet up with them if you're going to get out of here," Dwight stated.

Carl looked to Dwight questioningly. "You're letting me leave?"

Dwight shrugged. "Kid, the sooner you go, the sooner your group leaves and less people have to die on either side. It's a win-win for everyone," he explained. "Plus, I don't feel like dying tonight. Which is what would happen if I gave a fuck."

Carl took the gun but still looked to Dwight with confusion.

Dwight made a brushing gesture with his hand as he sat comfortably behind the bar. "Come on. Get out of here. Go back home while you still have the chance."

With that, Carl bolted for the bar door. Dwight stayed alone as he laughed quietly to himself. He opened his bottle of Stagg and drank a little more while feeling victorious in a small way for going against Negan. Regardless of the consequences, he did something good for once. Because of him, a father and son would be reunited again.

"Fuck you, Negan," he mumbled and then soon after passed out.

…

Sherry stood up slowly from behind Negan's bed as she heard the steps get closer and closer to the second floor of the house. She hurriedly peered around the room in a panic as she tried to formulate a plan in her mind. _What the hell was I thinking leaving the door unlocked?_ Fear started to form within her as she heard a door creak open in the hallway. Whoever was in the house was purposefully seeking out something or someone. They would know she was there at any moment.

She tried to stay calm and then saw the closet door beside her. She knew that door was notorious for screeching open and shut loudly but she didn't see any other options before her. The bottom of Negan's bed was filled with storage boxes underneath so she couldn't seek refuge from that usual hiding spot. She decided to chance the closet with hoping that opening the door as slowly as possible would prevent it from making any noise at all. She just hoped that she had enough time before whoever was in the house made it to Negan's bedroom to continue their covert search.

Sherry placed her hand on the closet door knob and turned it was stealthily as she could. She heard a soft click and knew the door could be opened after that point. She heard rumbling in her old bedroom of the house and knew the person was scouring it thoroughly. Taking deep breaths through her mouth, she continued opening the door slowly but knew the clock was ticking. Soon she saw that there was just enough room where could let herself slip inside the closet and then could close the door behind her. She began inching inside the closet while still keeping one eye on the bedroom door.

Once inside the closet, she started closing the door behind her. Then without any warning, the door creaked with a long groan. The rumble and shuffling in the other room stopped abruptly followed by complete silence. Sherry closed her eyes as she covered her mouth. She didn't want to give her hiding spot away but knew whoever was in the house was going to check what the noise was.

Sure enough, the bedroom door opened slowly. Sherry kept the closet door partially open not daring to shut it completely in case it screeched obnoxiously again. The closet door had shudders which Sherry used to see into the room. In the dark, she could see a man's silhouette as he gazed around the room. He stayed still and silent with one hand holding a pistol in case something went down. Sherry kept her hand over her mouth while trying to fight a panic attack. In any event, she didn't want to be spotted as he could just shoot her. She was of no value to him and she still had to people to take care of.

"Carl?" She heard the man whisper. Realization hit her as she knew exactly who the man was. She knew it was Carl's father coming to get him out of Sanctuary like any good parent would. She stood quietly in the closet while watching the man walk into Negan's bathroom to check everything out.

Sherry didn't know what to do. She heard that Jason and Terri were members of Alexandria. She met Carl and knew he was a good kid. However, she was unsure of whether or not their leader was also a good person. Knowing that someone who would risk everything to find their soon was already ten times better than Negan, she still didn't move a muscle. She couldn't trust him. She hardly trusted anyone. She had been through too much to blindly rely on someone even if they were better than Negan. With that in mind, she remained hidden in the closet as the man continued to search the room. She could hear him get closer to her hiding spot but didn't know if she wanted to be found or not. She didn't know which was worse. Giving herself away to the unknown or rotting in Sanctuary for the rest of her days.

The front door of the house burst open while a couple of Saviors stepped inside and spoke to each other loudly. Sherry nearly jumped out of her skin by the sudden game changer and saw that the man in Negan's bedroom looked to the hallway and then directly towards the closet door in a panic of his own. Sherry's eyes widened as she saw him get closer while the noise from downstairs lingered. Sherry watched helplessly as the man quietly and quickly turned the knob and swung the closet door open. The creaking sound was drowned out from the men downstairs who were still talking in animated voices. The man stopped suddenly before stepping inside the small space as his eye line followed from Sherry's foot up to her face. He made eye contact with Sherry as she stayed frozen and stared back at him. The shouts persisted downstairs as the man knew he had no other choice and walked into the closet.

The man quickly grabbed Sherry's waist and put a gun to the side of her head. Sherry took a sharp breath as the cold metal touched the side of her forehead. "Close the door," he ordered harshly in her ear.

Sherry did as she was instructed and shut the closet door. Then they waited while the men were still in Negan's house. Sherry couldn't detect Negan's voice among the men and thought it peculiar that they let themselves in.

"Didn't the boss say his front door was locked?" They heard a man say.

"Yeah. One of his wives is upstairs," another man replied.

"Should we have some fun with her?" The first man asked.

The remark was followed by spurts of laughter. Sherry held her breath worried that they would try and look for her and find the leader of Alexandria holding her at gunpoint.

"No!" One Savior replied sternly. "The penalty for rape is getting fucking killed. Not worth it. Besides, Negan only wants us in here because it has a good vantage point for most of Sanctuary. He expects us to…"

His sentence was halted as they heard a giant explosion that shook the house. Sherry jumped at the blast as the man behind grasped onto her tighter while silently threatening that if she made any noise, he would finish her. Worrying that she would call for help, he let go of her waist and placed his hand over her mouth then shushed her. They both heard the men on the main floor say expletives in regards to the loud bang that erupted beyond their temporary hideout.

"That came from the old entrance!" One of the men yelled.

"Let's go!" Another man shouted to the others. "They may need our help!"

"Should we guard the house?" Another asked. "Negan will be fucking pissed if his wife gets fucked up."

"She'll be fine," one man replied. "We need to help at the gate."

They heard feet shuffling quickly out the front door followed quickly by gunshots outside. Sherry felt like she could finally breathe but then realized that she was still in very grave danger. She was alone with someone that she considered an enemy. She didn't know him enough for him to be an ally in any way.

"Open the door," the leader growled in her ear.

She reached for the doorknob as her hand shook from fear. Once the door opened, the man guided both of them out of the closet towards Negan's bed as he forced her to sit down. Sherry inhaled deeply as she feared what could happen next. Every muscle tensed up as tears fell down her face. She didn't know what the man was going to do to her.

He shushed her again but with a more gentle tone as a sob escaped her mouth. He bent over to meet her eye line with a firm stare. "I am not going to hurt you," he assured. She didn't believe him. She had no reason to. "You just stay there and stay quiet. Got it?"

Sherry breathed heavily but nodded that she would do as he asked. Satisfied, he stood up straight and walked towards the window to look outside. He waited until he saw something that peaked his interest or something that he could use to his advantage. "Carl is with Daryl," he muttered with relief mostly to himself. The man then walked back to where Sherry sat on the bed and looked at her with an intense gaze once more. "Is there another way out of this house?"

"Um…" Sherry said while trying to think under the pressure. "There is a back door… there are a lot of trees in the backyards so you could slip by without anyone knowing. Easily."

"How do I get to the back of the library without getting seen?" He asked urgently.

"Just keep behind all the buildings," Sherry instructed as fast as she could so he could finally leave her be and hoped that he would believe the information that she gave him. Gunfire continued outside towards the old entrance. "Once you get out the back door, take a left and keep in the backyards of the houses."

The leader started heading towards the bedroom door then stopped. "You're Negan's wife," he stated as he turned around to look at her. His words weren't so much of a question and more as if something unfolded in his mind.

"Something like that," Sherry responded honestly but could still hear the alarm in her voice. _Just leave already,_ she thought.

He stayed still as if contemplating his next course of action. Sherry almost wanted to shout at him that he only had one choice which was to sneak out while he still could. She no longer wanted to be threatened by his presence alone so she could return to her life. As bad as her life was, it was familiar. She knew what to expect with Negan. Suddenly, the man turned around and stepped towards her. "You're coming with me," the man declared as he grabbed her arm suddenly and pulled her up.

"What?!" She asked in bewilderment. She felt an immediate panic as he pushed her towards the bedroom door and towards the stairs. They went down the steps quickly as Negan's front door remained closed. She half suspected that he would burst through it and kill the man who was holding her hostage.

"You know how to get out of here fast," the man reasoned. "I don't have time to navigate my way out of here. You're gonna help me." He placed both hands behind her back while successfully holding his pistol and heard him cock it. "You will _not_ make a sound and let everyone know where we are. And you won't lead me to a dead end. You are going to take me exactly where I need to go. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

She nodded as the made their way out the back door. She led the way as he continued to hold her hands behind her back. It was awkward to try and walk hastily as he still held her hands together but she was able to weave in people's backyards with the cover of the trees. Sherry noticed that almost all the men weren't at their post and were at the old entrance trying to put out a fire where the supply building was.

Sherry turned to look at the leader. "All the men are at the supply building," she assured him while nodding to the other side of the street where the library was. "You can cross the street without being noticed." She hoped that her reasoning would sound convincing enough that he would let her go. She hoped that he would be satisfied with her answer and release her so she could go back to Negan's house. Something familiar. Something that almost felt safe.

"Let's go," the leader instructed as he pushed her towards the street. Sherry was shocked that they were so close to the library and he still wanted her to lead him. Then it occurred to her. She successfully led him out of Sanctuary. The only reason that he kept her around was if...

She pushed back with defiance. "What? No! I can't leave here!"

"Too bad," the man said gruffly and pushed her again. She reluctantly started walking towards the library and hoped to lose him by the time they made it at the gate. She thought of all the ways that she could ditch him. She could scream at last minute and give him no choice but to leave her behind. She could make her body go limp or put up a struggle. Ideas kept on popping into her head however, she didn't act on any of those impulses. In any event, she couldn't go beyond the walls of Sanctuary. Her job was to protect and keep others that she loved safe. If she wasn't there, no one else would keep her friends away from Negan. They _needed_ her in Sanctuary. As they crawled into the hedges behind the library, Sherry had a feeling of déjà vu as she remembered her time trying to escape Sanctuary in the exact same spot.

They made it to the opening in the gate as the leader tried to nudge her towards it. She was beyond tempted to leave the walls of Sanctuary. But she had a responsibility to her people to stay. She knew what would happen to them if she left. "I can't leave," she repeated with desperation. "Negan will kill people if I leave." The man didn't respond back and was already determined to bring her with him. His mind was made up but Sherry still had to make him listen. "Please! I need to stay."

The leader seemed to contemplate what Sherry said for a brief second and then looked at her with the same resolve as before. "I'm sorry," the man grumbled, "but that's a risk that I'm willing to take." With that, he pushed her out of the gate with every muscle he had. She inhaled as she pushed back at him but could feel her bare feet sliding backwards on the dirt beneath them. Parts of her skin caught on the opening while being pushed out until she finally made it on the other side. She didn't know that the day would ever come but now that it arrived, she was trying to fight her way back in rather than breathing a sigh of relief. As the leader of Alexandria made his way to the other side of the fence, she slapped him across the face and inhaled to let out a scream. The man immediately put a hand over her mouth as her scream became muted by his palm.

She felt extremely conflicted as she thought of the members of her group and their fate if she wasn't with them. She thought of Dwight as more worry took over and she continued to fight back to be within the walls of Sanctuary once more.

"I'm sorry," the man repeated as he took his pistol and hit the back of her head with the butt of it.

And then there was nothing but darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

**AUTHOR'S NOTES – ATTENTION ALL READERS! I have plans for 6+ "novels" in the Many Hearts to Tread series! Awesome, right? Well, here is the best part! The fifth book in the series will be based on PROMPTS from you readers. Give me a word and I'll give you a chapter based on that word! So when you write a review, you can give me a word from there or you can private message me a word!**

 **Also, give me your opinion of an AU book for if Dwight & Sherry (Dwerry…lol) met if an apocalypse didn't happen… I have an idea of how they would have met but if you're curious and would like me to share it, I will write it! Just let me know!**

 **I hope you are liking Vessel so far! Should I give away the titles to books 4, 5 & 6? Oh, why not!**

 **Book Four will be called Cruel World.**

 **Book Five (my prompt novel) will be called Beauty.**

 **Book Six will be called The Day the World Went Away.**

 **Well, there you have it! Can't wait to see those prompts!**

Chapter 8

Sherry stirred from her jolting rest with an excruciating headache. Her eyes fluttered open to see only darkness as the air felt stuffy. Something brushed up against her nose and cheek. The more she woke herself up, confusion settled more as her senses become heightened. Staying still, she heard people speaking nearby. Their voices were unclear and some were familiar while almost drowned out by a purring noise that vibrated the area.

"We could use her," she heard someone say beside her. His voice echoed as she traveled in and out of consciousness.

"Sure we didn't open up a can of worms by bringing her with us?" Another voice questioned. Sherry could deduce it was a female speaking but she sounded rugged and without remorse. "If she is as valuable as you think she is, Negan will attack us until he gets her back."

"And maybe she's the leverage that we need in having Negan gett off our backs." Sherry recognized that voice. It was Carl's father; the leader of Alexandria.

Sherry held still trying to think of what exactly her surroundings were. Her face was covered by a piece of cloth as she realized that was the item brushing up against her face periodically. The purr she heard sounded like a car engine. She was in a car. It had been a very long time since she was last inside a car at all. Focusing on gravity, she could tell she was sitting up as her head was propped up against something cold and could surmise that it was the car window while they drove throughout the night. As they all spoke, she could tell the leader was in front of her and guessed that he was the one driving the car. The woman's voice was behind her slightly to her right.

Sherry couldn't breathe at all through her mouth then noticed that her mouth was taped closed. She could feel a rope tied around both of her wrists and another rope around her ankles. Continuing to hold still, she pretended that she was still unconscious to hear more information that they could have withheld if they knew she was still awake.

"Eye fer an eye," a man gruffed beside her. "They took Carl so we take her."

After a few seconds of silence, Sherry heard the teenager, Carl, speak up with uneasiness. "They didn't take me."

More silence followed as they pondered what the boy had confessed. "What?" The leader asked with astonishment in his voice.

"I snuck into their truck on my own," Carl said quietly. "I thought… I thought I could kill Negan myself."

Everyone was speechless as they tried to absorb what Carl just told them. Sherry expected someone to scream at him and tell him that he messed up big time. No one said a word as they perhaps waited for Carl's father to have the final say. Going to Sanctuary and attacking the Saviors was no small feat and they did it with the intention that Carl was kidnapped or worse.

"Well," the leader started to say and took a deep breath, "we were bound to go up against the Saviors sooner or later. Carl, next time you decide to jump the gun and take matters into your own hands, please consult me first."

Sherry started to have a difficult time breathing with the bag over her head and started to move. She had to try and persuade the people in taking her back. She was her friends' only hope for survival. She couldn't abandon them while they suffered due to her absence.

"Rick, she's awake," the man next to her said.

"Take the bag off her head," The leader - Rick - instructed.

Soon the cloth bag was taken off of her head by a man who sat next to her in the car. The man had dark medium length hair and was almost dressed completely in black or it at least appeared so with her vision in the night. He stared at her as she eyed him back and tried to not let on how terrified of him she actually was. She tried to not let her intimidation show and glared at him. She peeked around and saw there were only four other people in the van besides her. They followed a car in front of them and saw headlights trailing behind them.

"Check the back of her head," Rick instructed as he kept his eyes on the road. "I hit it pretty hard."

The man beside her reached for the back of her head as Sherry tried to lean as far away from him as possible. She furrowed her brows and tried to show him with her eyes that she didn't want him to touch her at all. The guy stopped at her protective stance and put his hands up in front of him in surrender.

Sherry wasn't able to break the rules in Sanctuary for fear that they would kill her group. But in her new prison, she realized that the survivors didn't have a hold over her like Negan did. For once, she could at least pretend to be in control of the situation. She quickly glanced towards her tied up hands then to Rick who was driving the car. As if she was an animal that was being back into a corner, she made the decision to lash out to defend herself. Bringing her tied up hands over the front seat, she used to rope as her only weapon and rested her hands on each side of the leader's throat. She pulled towards her slightly to choke him out as he hastily pulled the car over to the side of the road. From her peripherals, she instantly saw three guns raised in her direction but continued to keep her hands around Rick's neck as he tried to push her hands at bay once the car came to a complete stop.

Adrenaline took over as she kept her stance and pulled herself to be pressed on the back of Rick's seat. She then glanced at all the people in the van while Rick struggled to get her to release him.

"Put yer guns down," the man beside her said calmly to the others as he placed his gun on the van floor. She watched as Carl and the woman followed his lead with reluctance.

"I'm gonna take the tape off yer mouth, k?" The man said slowly with his hands up in the air as Rick started making slight gurgling noises. Sherry watched as the man brought his hands closer to her. She would accept him assisting her so that she could name her terms and then be released. But suddenly, he grabbed her hands with all of his strength then pried her away from Rick's neck as Carl helped. Sherry screamed through the tape and fought him back while feeling stupid for being tricked so easily. Some people began emerging from the cars surrounding them and closed in on the van with their own guns drawn in case of any trouble.

"Calm down!" Rick yelled at her in between heavy pants while air filled his lungs again. "We don't want to hurt you! We just want to talk!"

"If she's Negan's wife, let's just kill her," the woman offered behind her.

"Carol," Rick warned. "We aren't like him. We are keeping her alive."

Tears started falling down her eyes as she worried about everything that she swore to protect. Her life consisted of keeping others safe and nothing else. Feeling detached from everything that she had known for the past two years, it was hard to not feel lost and without a purpose. But more importantly, she felt like she had failed the people who truly mattered to her. She tried to show that she was tough and could be mean in front of her new enemies but her fortitude was failing rapidly. Along with the constant anxiety she had about her group in Sanctuary, she was also distressed for own well-being. She knew if their group killed her, Negan would surely take it out on the people that she loved. She needed to stay alive and she needed to go back to Sanctuary. At any cost. She was now surrounded by people both inside and outside of the car. Sherry needed to be smart and needed to plead her case. She just hoped that they would take her back.

She opened her mouth to speak but the tape muted her words beyond any recognition. The man that held her hands down on her lap nodded to the woman named Carol then looked to the tape. Carol put her hand towards the tape and ripped it off Sherry's face.

Sherry hissed slightly as the pain from the tape stinging her skin upon removal. She gave a slight dirty look towards Carol then looked to the others in the car. "Where are you taking me?" Sherry asked as she glanced directly towards Rick. The man next to her still remained holding her hands just in case she tried anything stupid again.

"We're going to take you to our community," Rick answered honestly. "We're sorry that we had to take you away from yours but we could really use _something_ to have the upper hand. We think it's you."

"Me?" Sherry questioned but shook her head to stay focus on the task. "You don't understand! I can't leave Sanctuary. I need to stay there."

"Why?" The man sitting beside her asked.

"I keep people alive there. If I'm not in Sanctuary, Negan will kill them. Please, let me go back." Sherry begged again. "Please! Negan won't be happy that I'm gone either. Do you really want more of your people to die because of me?"

"It won't be your fault," Rick reasoned.

"I will hold myself responsible for every person that dies while I am outside of those walls. Take me back!" She commanded not even bothering to ask politely.

Rick turned around to face the steering wheel deep in thought as Sherry could visibly see him weigh the options that he had. "What's your name?" He asked then looked to her again.

She eyed everyone suspiciously before she answered him. "Sherry."

"Well, Sherry," Rick began with almost a mocking in his voice, "do you just expect us to drop you off at the front door? Or to just drop you off here in the middle of nowhere? You have no idea how to get back. We are taking the long way back to Alexandria and Sanctuary is hours behind us. Odds are that you will die before you even made it back."

She could tell that he was trying to scare her. It had been a long time since she had to brave it out in the wild amongst the walkers but she felt that she could do it again if necessary. "You could always point me in the right direction," she taunted under her breath. She didn't mean for her words to sound so biting but Rick was keeping her away from where she needed to be and she had no respect for him because of it.

"Face it," Rick continued while choosing to ignore her remark. "The facts are that we are heading back to Alexandria and you are coming with us. That's not up for negotiation."

"Son of a bitch," Sherry sneered. "The members of my group are good people and you are digging their graves."

Rick grinded his teeth as he looked to Sherry. She already knew that he cared for her plight. Just not enough. "Unless you have a better option…"

"Take me back," Sherry demanded again.

"No," Rick responded.

"Then let me get out of the car so I can start walking," Sherry ordered while on the brink of tears once more.

"No," Rick repeated and nodded to Carol. "Put the tape back on."

"You motherfu…!" The rest of her phrase was drowned out by Carol who placed the tape back over her mouth once more.

Someone walked up to Rick's window and tapped on the glass as Rick rolled it down manually. The man with a long beard and hair looked to Rick with concern. "Any reason why we stopped?"

Rick shook his head. "Our guest just isn't liking her situation."

The man at the window sighed and placed his hands on the car. "Do you really think that was the best tactic?" He questioned. "I feel like Negan is going to give us hell for what we just did."

"Well, at the time I thought that he kidnapped Carl so it just seemed fitting to give him a taste of his own medicine," Rick explained.

"But he didn't kidnap Carl?" The man asked in surprise.

Rick shook his head. "Carl stowed away," he said then glanced to the teenager in the passenger seat while the kid refused to meet his gaze and kept his eyes on his lap instead.

"We were right to take the long way back to Alexandria," the man informed. "We just got radioed that the Saviors are watching the highway."

Rick nodded absorbing the facts that the man laid out before him. "What time is it, Jesus?"

Sherry raised one eyebrow at his name but didn't say anything. "It's already nearing dawn. We've been driving for a while," Jesus said.

"We need to pass a store that sells clothes," Rick announced. "And I need to switch cars out with Aaron and Eric."

"Why?" Jesus asked.

"Sherry needs something to wear and I need to interview her before she steps on foot in Alexandria," Rick clarified then peered behind him at Sherry. "I don't trust her yet." She met his gaze with a huff. _Asshole,_ she thought.

The man named Jesus looked past Rick's seat and towards Sherry while she averted his stare. She looked down to see her revealing attire but was passed the embarrassment. That was her life in Sanctuary so it became the norm.

"There's an outlet mall about an hour away," Jesus disclosed. "We can switch cars then too."

Rick nodded. "Thanks. Let's start moving again."

The man smiled and started walking towards the car that he came from. The van started moving once more as the man beside her continued to hold her hands down just in case she decided to be difficult again. She knew that he was being smart because she would try something again if given the chance.

Sherry's stomach started to hurt when she became more anxious about her friends which included her original group, Negan's wives, Kevin, and Dwight. She didn't know if Negan would kill them because she was kidnapped. She only knew that he liked to take his anger out on whoever he felt deserved it.

She was mentally and physically exhausted but her muscles relaxed as she sat back in her chair. She looked out the window to see some light that didn't belong to headlights. The sun started peeking through the trees in the surrounding forest. Tears fell as she thought that she would never see that sight ever again. With the high walls of Sanctuary, she hadn't seen a sunrise throughout the entire duration that she lived there. A part of her felt guilty for being away. She felt as if she didn't deserve to be free of the hell that in the car's rear view mirror. More so, there were so many people in that same hell that she escaped from that were in perilous danger.

 _God, I haven't talked to you in a while but please be with my friends today. Please keep them safe,_ she thought to herself as they continued to drive. Finally, the exhaustion that she felt just moments before took over as the motion of the car lulled her to sleep.

…

Since day one, Sherry made an effort to try and sleep with one eye open. Before Sanctuary, it was the walkers. In Sanctuary, it was Negan or other Saviors that wanted to have their way with her. After Sanctuary, it was the new group. Sherry felt the car come to a halt as the people in the other vehicles opened their car doors and started chatting amongst themselves.

"Daryl, wake her up," she heard Rick say.

She assumed that the man who was sitting next to her was named Daryl. He held her hands for the entire duration that she was asleep. Sherry immediately opened her eyes and glanced at Daryl to let him know that it wasn't necessary.

She didn't fear them the way that she thought she should. She only feared the unknown. These people were strangers to her. But she knew Jason and Terri were amongst them somewhere. She knew it had to count for something on their moral character. One thing she didn't like about Rick was his indifference and uncaring towards her group members. She knew that if she were in the same situation she would potentially do the same thing that he did. But it still rubbed her wrong all the same.

The sun was out. She could see her surroundings clearly now with the night sky no longer obscuring her vision. She looked behind her and saw the woman named Carol holding a brass knuckle knife in her hand. Carl got out of the car and opened the passenger side door next to Daryl. Carol stepped out from behind them and stretched the second she got out of the car.

"Don't try nothing," Daryl said as he started to slide out of the van guiding her hands with him. A feeling of panic took over as she looked around. For some reason, she felt secure inside the van. She didn't like the openness of the outlet mall parking lot and the people of Alexandria surrounding her.

Daryl turned around to watch her and saw her moment of panic. He took the tape off her mouth again as she tried to breathe through her mouth to let her emotions settle. The man waited for her to regain her composure as his face read patience. The chatter from the people continued while she looked towards each of them with apprehension. Drawing another deep breath, she nodded that she was ready to get out. He nodded as he helped her out of the van.

Once she was out, she got a clearly view of the Alexandrians around her. She didn't forget that she didn't have any shoes or hardly any clothes so the stares that she received from the group wasn't much of a shock. However, it was the nature of the stares. In Sanctuary, the men looked like they were going to eat her alive. Whereas the new group looked upon her with a slight pity in their eyes. _If only they knew,_ Sherry thought.

"Sherry!" She heard someone yell. She jumped at the immediate attention that someone knew her by name. But the voice sounded familiar. She scanned each face then finally zeroed in on Jason who was heading her way with a smile on his face and arms outstretched.

Daryl stepped to the side as Jason hugged her tightly. Sherry's muscles tensed at the embrace as she instantly worried for his safety. But then she remembered that Negan was nowhere in sight and couldn't punish Jason for the wholesome gesture. She still looked at everyone with skepticism but tried to have the small moment of happiness from seeing that Jason was alive with her own eyes.

"I just can't believe this!" He said excitedly. "We saw Dwight just yesterday and here you are!"

"Mean the som' bitch who killed Abraham?" Daryl seethed next to her.

Jason looked visibly conflicted as he solemnly nodded towards Daryl in response.

Rick walked over to Jason and looked around. "I want you guys to start heading back to Alexandria. Just in case Negan plans on retaliating any time soon."

"What 'bout you?" Daryl asked.

"I need to have a talk with Sherry before we let her into our community," Rick said as he looked at Sherry again with doubts. She stared back at him as if she didn't know whether to hate the man or not. "We'll probably be in Alexandria a couple of hours after you."

Daryl nodded as he motioned for everyone to gather around him and Jason for the information that Rick just relayed.

Jason smiled apologetically to Sherry. "You'll like it in Alexandria. It's the kind of community that our group wanted," he offered with hope.

Sherry hesitated before she spoke. She wanted to say that she didn't have any plans to go to Alexandria. She was going to try and make it back to Sanctuary if it was the last thing she did.

"It was good seeing you again, Jason," she said quietly.

Rick stepped into the conversation and cleared his throat. "We're going to find you some clothes in there." He nodded towards the outlet mall as he knelt down next to Sherry to start unwrapping the ropes tied at her ankles. Sherry looked down at her attire and sighed. It was fitting for the life that she led in Sanctuary but not outside of the gates where you needed to be armed and ready at all times. She was unable to stash any kind of weapon on herself with the clothes she currently had on.

Rick and Sherry started walking towards the mall. The second Sherry turned her back to Jason, she could hear a gasp escape his lips. She knew he was looking at the marks on her back for the first time. That tended to be everyone's reaction.

"Sherry, what happened to you and Dwight?" He asked. "I saw his face the other day…"

Sherry started to shake as she tried hard not to think of the moments when both of their scars were placed. She could almost feel Negan's presence suddenly surround her but she knew for once, he was nowhere to be found. Sherry jumped slightly as she was brought back to reality by someone's coat being rested on her shoulders. She looked up to see who gave it to her as Rick nodded to her with his own coat suddenly not on his person anymore.

Sherry looked and saw Jason just stood in place as if he could have broken down and cried. That last time that he saw Sherry was when she had so much life and fight about her. Now she was only a fraction of that person. "I'm so sorry I said anything," he muttered quietly with as much consoling as he could muster. "Forget I asked."

With a slight nod, Sherry gave a final glance towards Jason and hoped that it wouldn't be the last time that she saw him. "Say hi to Terri and the kids for me, ok?"

Jason nodded. "I will," he said and turned his attention to the small crowd as they talked about their next plan.

"Rick, here are the keys for the truck," a man with short curly hair said as he tossed the truck keys to him.

Rick caught them and kept on walking towards the outlet mall with Sherry. "Thanks, Aaron," he said and then turned his attention to Sherry. "We'll get you some clothes and some shoes. After that, I have some questions to ask you."

"You don't have to ask me anything," Sherry said stubbornly. "You could just take me back to Sanctuary."

"That's not going to happen for a number of reasons," Rick countered back.

"Why?" Sherry snapped.

"I already explained earlier." Rick said with a final tone as if he was finished discussing the topic altogether.

"If you just let me walk back..." Sherry started.

"Yeah and what if you died on the way there?" Rick asked. "Negan wouldn't be too happy with us if that happened. You alive, he would at least keep his distance if he thought we were tampering with something valuable of his."

"Sounds like a personal problem," Sherry muttered under her breath.

"Yeah, well, so does yours," Rick growled back with the same tone that she used.

They made it to a woman's clothing and shoe department. The windows were left untampered with as Rick reached for the door. Not surprisingly, it was locked. He pulled his gun out and shot at the glass. Sherry looked around to see if there were any walkers looming by in the distance and from the noise but there was nothing to be seen besides the Alexandrians that were starting to get in their cars and head towards their community.

Rick looked down to her bare feet and then gazed at the shattered glass that was all over the ground. He stepped inside the department and started sweeping the glass over to the side with his boot. When he was satisfied with his work, he looked up to her with caution. "There are still some small pieces here and there. Just be careful."

She stepped inside while keeping her eyes on the floor in case she spotted any slivers of glass. Once cleared of the entryway, she looked around the untouched department store. It was like she was taken to a whole different world; the world that used to be. She remembered how much she used to care about her wardrobe and appearance. Now is was only the necessities that mattered. She started looking through the clothes that were displayed and only set her eyes on the clothes that were dark in color or just neutral. She didn't want to pick anything that stood out in color or fashion. She was tired of being put on display for the things that she wore.

"Where are you from?" Rick asked as he followed her. He constantly kept his eyes towards the exit just in case any walkers headed their direction and trapped them inside.

Sherry glanced back at him quizzically but then turned her attention back to the clothes. She started looking at a pair of black skinny jeans and then towards her waistline. She guessed that she was a size zero with the lack of food that they received in Sanctuary even if Negan allowed them to eat more per doctor's instructions. She looked for the size that she was looking for and held them in her hands. Rick grabbed them from her slowly as he eyed her to see her reaction just in case she would act skittish or not. She assumed that he felt bad for her hands still being tied up as she never took her eyes off of him until he was what she deemed a safe distance away.

"Chicago," she finally answered his question quietly as she went back to searching for more items.

"How did you meet Negan?" Rick then asked.

Sherry turned to look at him. "He wasn't my husband before everything went down," she said in a defensive tone. That wasn't what he asked but she could tell that was what he meant. He didn't say anything for a moment but just stared back at her. She knew that he was trying to get to know her not for the sake of small talk but as an interrogation. "How long were you a cop before the world went to shit?" She asked him.

"How did you know that I was a cop?" Rick asked her back while mildly amused that she came to that correct conclusion.

She didn't answer back and went back to her clothes shopping. "Did Jason and Terri tell you a little bit about me?" She asked instead.

Rick nodded. "Just a few things. They said that you were a part of their group before Sanctuary?"

"I was," Sherry replied as she saw a long sleeve black shirt. She found an extra small and held it up towards Rick with her tied up wrists assuming that he would hold it for her as well. He took it as she started walking towards the outerwear section for a coat of her own. "We were all together for six months before we were in Sanctuary."

"How did you meet Negan?" He asked.

"He ambushed our group in the middle of the night," she said while remembering the day like it was yesterday and a decade ago all at once. "Then he dragged us all to his wonderful home," Sherry said sarcastically.

"Then you married him?" He asked. Sherry couldn't help but hear the small ounce of judgment in his voice. Her eye immediately twitched at his words as it was like a slap in the face.

No longer able to contain her frustration towards his assumption, Sherry turned on her heel and looked at Rick with fire in her eyes. She hadn't felt so much confidence in herself that she was almost taking advantage of the time that she had with her old personality rising above the surface to let the man in front of her have it. Negan made her fear what would happen if she spoke back to him but she wasn't afraid of Rick. He could beat her, rape her, or kill her but she no longer held the weight of living for others while outside of Sanctuary. She was going to say what she wanted. "He never asked me if I wanted to marry him," she started. "He _told_ me that was just how it was going to be. He never gave me the option of saying yes or no. Maybe he thought he did but saying no would have killed my group. _My family._ Now you show up. Scoffing at me like you know all the details about me. You don't know anything about me. You don't know what I have gone through to keep my people alive." The last sentence almost made her choke up with emotion as tears started filling her eyes. She blinked them away as they fell on her face. "I will not be mocked for the things I have done. That's not going to happen."

Rick continued to stare at her with shock by her sudden revelation and horrific detail of her life inside the Sanctuary walls. Sherry couldn't stand to look at him anymore and went back to shopping. She blamed Rick for uprooting her out of her secure yet precarious situation. She stopped caring about herself a long time ago and only cared about the well-being of her group. Each second that she was away from Negan, made her more anxious. She hoped that they were all still okay.

"I'm sorry," she heard Rick say behind her with more sincerity than she thought him capable of. Then he continued with his questioning. "Jason and Terri said that they lived in Georgia before all of this. How did you run into them if you are from Chicago?"

"I was going to school at UGA," Sherry answered shortly.

"That's a long way from home," Rick commented.

"You're telling me," she remarked back. She knew all too well how far away from home it actually was.

She saw a greenish/tan cargo jacket and grabbed a size or two larger than what she actually needed then walked to the shoe aisles and saw some black knee length leather boots meant for outdoor activities. She found some in her size and held her hands out to Rick. "I'm guessing you don't want me to be left alone as I dress in one of the changing rooms."

He put her clothes on the floor and quickly untied her hands. Once her hands were free, she took his coat off her shoulders and handed it back to him. "Thanks," she said as he grabbed it and put it back on himself. She quickly got dressed and started lacing her new boots up.

"So, how did you know I was a cop?" He asked again.

She looked up to him and smiled distantly. "My dad was a part of the Chicago Police Department," she explained as she focused back to her shoelaces once more. "His observance kind of rubbed off on me, I guess. I don't know, you just seem like the cop type."

"Fair enough," Rick said somewhat impressed.

As soon as Sherry had her boots tied, they started to walk outside of the store when Sherry spotted hair ties and bobby pins by the cashier stand. She grabbed them and hurriedly multitasked with fixing her hair up in a messy bun while walking to the truck in the middle of the parking lot. By the time Rick turned around to check if she was actually following him, her hair was already up.

Rick got the ropes that held her hands previously and opened the passenger side door for her. She looked at the ropes knowingly as she got into the truck. Once she was seated, he started wrapping the ropes around her wrists again.

"Don't try anything stupid," Rick muttered.

Sherry smiled smugly and knew he was referring to when she almost choked him out earlier in the day. Had she not fallen for Daryl's trick, she could have successfully killed their leader. At the time, she thought he deserved it. So far, he wasn't much better than Negan himself and didn't know him enough to judge otherwise. Sherry scoped around the parking lot and could see five walkers making their way to the truck. She watched them with excitement building within her. She almost missed walkers roaming around and the danger that came with it. "Better hurry, Officer Rick," Sherry said sarcastically. "Biters are coming our way."

He turned around to see the walkers the same second that he made the last knot then quickly ran to the other side of the truck and got into the driver's side. Sherry nearly felt tempted to lock the doors on him but knew she would feel a guilty conscience if she did. Rick started the car as they drove out of the parking lot and on the way to Alexandria.

They drove in silence for ten minutes as Sherry saw that Rick appeared to have something on his mind that he wasn't voicing out loud. "What's wrong?" Sherry finally questioned.

"Jason and Terri…" Rick began. "They said that Dwight was part of your old group."

Sherry stared outside of the passenger window while caught off guard by the mention of his name.

"We caught him and let him escape several days ago," Rick explained as Sherry continued to look out towards the surrounding forest. "From what I gathered when I spoke to him, he doesn't particularly care too much about Negan. Do you think he could help us?"

Sherry glanced down at her lap. "If he's not dead already, no thanks to you, maybe he would," she muttered but then looked up as comprehension hit her like a brick then peered at Rick. "Is that the real reason why you're taking me to Alexandria?"

"Your role in this war is more important than you know," Rick disclosed. "If any allies of Negan were to switch sides, that would really be useful for us."

"That's not really the best thought out plan, is it?" Sherry questioned. A heartbroken thought entered her mind as she wondered what Dwight even thought of her. He could have hated her from years of no longer speaking to each other. "What if he _doesn't_ go against Negan?"

"I think he will," Rick responded.

Sherry stared at him with wide eyes and shook her head slightly. "Have you seen Negan's men? If those people in the parking lot are the only ones fighting, your people are fucked! Whether Dwight helps or not won't matter!"

"Whether or not Dwight helps us or not, we still have you," Rick argued as Sherry scoffed when he said it. "You have lived in Sanctuary almost this whole time. The information that you have can help us." Rick sat in silence for several moments trying to think of another thing to convince her. "We could help each other."

Sherry raised one eyebrow. "Yeah? How do you propose you would help me?"

"What do you want?" Rick asked.

" _I_ want to go back to Sanctuary," she said simply.

"Maybe it'll help if you look at the bigger picture," Rick offered. "Negan is going to be too preoccupied with us to go after your group. They could be safe temporarily with the distraction. If you helped us, you could make them even more secure."

"How's that?" Sherry inquired while not yet sold on what Rick had to say.

Rick stared at her briefly before looking back at the windshield to drive but then glanced at her with an intense gaze. "You could rid your group of Negan once and for all. I know we don't have as many men as they do. But we still have a shot to take him on. Either way we have to try."

Sherry drew a deep breath through her nose as she thought of what life would be like without Negan in the way. It was almost too good to be true.

"Sherry," Rick continued, "your group members aren't the only ones that have suffered because of him. He is taking control of three communities who live under constant fear. Jason and Terri thought that their kids were rid of him years ago and now he's telling them what to do once again. From a distance for now but we don't know if that's going to last. If you stay with us in Alexandria, you could potentially help us save a lot of people. You wouldn't have to be his wife anymore."

Just then, the car started to slow its speed and puttering to a complete stop. Rick looked at the dashboard and frowned. "Out of gas," he said with a growl. Once the car came to a complete halt, he looked behind him and saw two gas tanks in the truck. "I'll fill this up real fast." With that, he walked out of the car and started filling the tank.

Sherry looked around as she thought of his offer. _A chance to longer belong to Negan,_ she thought to herself. She gave up that notion a long time ago. It was just too painful to keep thinking that something could be done to defeat Negan. He almost seemed invincible to her. He was too powerful. She almost thought he was going to live forever and become an ever-present demon that loomed over every part of her life. How she dressed, how she ate, and how she behaved.

As Rick continued to fill the truck up with gas, she thought of how many people died because of Negan. She thought of how many people _would_ die if they went to war with him. _They attacked Sanctuary last night. War is going to happen and people are going to die regardless if you help them or not. Maybe less people would die if you help them,_ she thought to herself.

She started to hear growls near the other side of the car as walkers started to descend upon the truck from the woods next to the road.

"Rick!" She yelled. Sherry turned around to see that he already had his gun out and was starting to shoot at as many as he could. Sherry counted eleven walkers that seemed to come from out of nowhere.

An adrenaline hit her as she looked around feeling helpless. She hadn't killed a walker in ages. However, she needed to try and do something to help Rick. She felt stupid just sitting in the car while he took care of everything. However, she didn't have a weapon with her. Sherry looked around the truck to see if perhaps there was a gun stashed somewhere close. She knew if Rick died on the road that she would be screwed because she didn't even know where she was. Then she opened the glove box in front of her. She gasped with relief as she saw a gun stored inside of it. She pulled it out and checked to see if it was loaded. Sure enough, it was as she put the gun on her lap and opened the door with her tied up wrists. Once the door clicked open she picked the gun back up and kicked the door clear open with her foot and walked outside. She saw that he already killed seven with his gun and a knife that he produced while she was trying to find a way to help but more walkers started to make their appearance.

"Hey!" She yelled. The walkers that were paying attention to him looked to see where the other noise came from. When they saw her, she continued to shout at them.

"You get the truck filled up with gas!" She ordered to Rick. "I'll distract them and pick them off as I go along." The walkers started following her as she started jogging around. She started to walk backwards as she shot her first walker. She couldn't help but smile.

Rick looked at her in the distance as if she were a crazy person while he walked back to the truck and filled it up with more gas.

Sherry saw she only had five more victims. She made sure that every bullet counted as she aimed at their heads. She wasn't the least bit intimidated by the biters. She felt like she was finally in her element especially with training at the shooting range in Sanctuary.

When it was the last walker standing, she pulled the trigger but nothing happened. "Fuck!" She exclaimed out loud. Rick started walking her way with his knife drawn and stabbed the back of the walker's head.

Sherry looked around to see there weren't any more walkers around. She drew a deep breath as she handed the gun to Rick with her hands still tied.

Rick shook his head. "Keep it," he said as they both walked back to the truck. Rick looked inside the glove box in the truck and produced a map. Sherry gazed around the woods for cover but was mildly curious as to what he was doing. She didn't think he lost his direction on where they were headed.

He opened the map and took a pen from his coat. He started circling things on the map and then put the pen back in his pocket. Rick folded the map back up and then gave it to Sherry. "Here," he offeree as he handed her the map. He saw that her hands were still tied and thought to take the ropes off. Once she was released, he handed the map to her. She took it reluctantly but still wondered what he was doing.

"I drew the location out as to where Sanctuary was and where we are now. If you start walking, you could get there before sundown," Rick explained.

Sherry's eyes widened. "You're letting me go?" She asked.

Rick nodded. "Alexandria is not like Sanctuary. I'm not like Negan. I can't force you to come with me. If you want to go back and try to protect your friends like you've been doing, that's your choice. And you're free to make it."

Sherry felt immediately touched by his words. For a long time, she never had a real choice in what happened in her life. _Therein lies the difference between Rick and Negan,_ Sherry thought. This was the first time that Rick had some remorse for her plight and she had only known him for several hours. She had known Negan for years and he always expected the impossible in return for his "generosity."

"You said you would take Negan down if I came with you?" She asked.

"I would try my best," Rick replied.

Sherry looked down at the map and then back to Rick. She wanted to know that her friends were safe. But she knew if she went back to Sanctuary, it would only be a temporary security. They would still be stuck in that hell hole of a place with no end in sight. Then she thought of what life could be like if she went to Alexandria. Not only would her group be safe, but countless others would be free to live their lives the way they wanted to. Sherry knew Negan didn't just manipulate her. He manipulated everyone around him. And she could help put a stop to him.

Sherry looked at him as she tried to make a decision. She responded by giving him back the map. "I want him dead," she said to him firmly. "I want the son of a bitch dead."

Rick nodded and smiled at her choice. "Can I ask you a couple more questions before we make our way home?"

 _Home,_ she thought. She hadn't called a place home in a long time. "Sure."

Rick looked around the street for more walkers but saw none and continued. "How many walkers have you killed?"

"Too many to count," she responded honestly.

"How many people have you killed?" He asked.

Sherry thought of the time where she killed the man before she even lived in Sanctuary. When her group stumbled upon a mansion in the middle of nowhere and a man tried to get inside their paradise as a swarm of walkers was upon him. "One."

"Why?" He asked as a follow up to his last question.

"It was a mercy kill. He was already dead the second a walker took a bite out of him," she explained.

Rick nodded as he thought to himself. Satisfied with her answers, he held his hand out towards her. "Let's start over. My name is Rick Grimes."

She took his hand and shook it. "Sherry Ciccone," she said with a genuine smile.


	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – I just received news that the role for Negan has been cast in the Walking Dead…. And it's Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Ya know, the person on my icon image that I was hoping would get that role! Oh my freakin gosh! HELL YES! I am beyond excited!**

Chapter 9

Dwight could hear the sound of sweeping glass as his eyes slowly fluttered open. He physically felt like death and knew that drinking all of his problems away was the worst idea that he ever had. The events from the night before were hazy. While his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he felt a hangover induced headache. Processing what he remembered from the night before, he then thought of the kid. Carl was with him last night.

 _Oh shit,_ Dwight thought as he stared wildly at his surroundings. He was still within the bar behind the counter and had a bottle of Stagg in one hand. He moved around then groaned from doing so. He sat back down quickly seeing that Carl was nowhere in sight. Dwight closed his eyes as the sweeping of glass commenced. His brow furrowed at the white noise but realized that it meant he wasn't entirely alone at the same time that he heard someone step on the tiny, sharp fragments.

"Morning," he heard someone say in amusement. Dwight looked up from the behind the counter and saw Hansen glancing down at him from near the bar counter. "Had a rough night?"

"What the hell happened here?" Dwight asked as he saw the bar in disarray.

" _You_ happened," Hansen clarified. "You nearly tore this place up to shreds last night." The old man looked around the bar and shook his head. "Everyone else was assigned to clean the rest of the mess outside of the bar while I was instructed to help you clean in here."

Dwight's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "The _rest_ of the mess? What was I even doing last night? I don't remember any of this."

"Then you were completely plastered," Hansen said with a grin. "Alexandrians. They attacked us last night."

Suddenly Dwight vaguely remembered a scene from the night before in which he handed the teenage boy his gun and then also told him to leave so that Dwight could rest in peace. "Oh shit," Dwight moaned as he stood up while avoiding his wounded leg. He limped towards the front door while Hansen watched his every move.

"You're supposed to help me clean this whole mess up," Hansen grunted.

"I'll be right back," Dwight muttered. With that, he was out of the bar and heading towards Negan's home.

…

When Dwight got to Negan's house, several men were already there and gathered inside Negan's office. Dwight noticed that the house was in total disrepair. Furniture had been overturned and various books were scattered all over the place. Dwight nearly tripped over one book as he stared at the cover. _Odyssey._ He wondered what had happened and what the Alexandrians could have possibly wanted in Negan's house for it to be so uprooted the way that it was.

Dwight saw Negan standing at his desk with a map drawn out of all the communities' locations that he took control of. He glanced up to see Dwight approaching and scoffed. "Welcome back to the land of the living!" Negan spoke unnecessarily loud while Dwight shushed him. Putting a hand to his forehead, his fingers grazed his scar out of habit but sometimes he did it when he felt the most anxious.

"Let me guess," Negan started. "You passed out and the kid got away, is that right?"

Dwight nodded in reply as he sat down on one of Negan's chairs. Negan's composure was slightly off from what it always was. He was a man that always tried to keep his temper in check… until it wasn't. It seemed to Dwight that he was teetering from one side to the other but appeared to be very unhappy about something. He supposed that being attacked was quite a shock and perhaps Negan wasn't expecting it, However, the unhappiness was not towards Dwight like he thought it would be.

Carson strolled into the room as men continued to talk amongst themselves. Negan studied Carson with expectant eyes and equal anxiety. "What's the news, Carson? Did you find her anywhere?"

Dwight then peered towards Carson with more interest and was now on full alert. _Did you find her anywhere?_

Carson shook his head with nervousness and sweat rolling down his forehead. "Sherry isn't in Sanctuary," he revealed as Dwight had to catch his breath before he audibly gasped. "We assume that she was taken by the Alexandrians or maybe she thought that it was a good time to leave on her own accord amongst the confusion."

Negan slammed the pencil that he had in his hand onto the ground in frustration and let out a grumble. "No, she wouldn't leave all by herself," Negan surmised to himself. "She knows better than to fuck up like that." He started pacing the floor behind his desk while letting the reality sink in. Dwight watched from the corner of his eye as he stared downward as he also tried to process it in his head. What did it all mean for him? For his group?

"They took her," Negan continued as his breathing escalated in an uncontrollable rage. "The sons of bitches came into my house and took my wife." Dwight looked towards Negan as the man was visibly fuming. His hands were balled up into fists with his shoulders tense like an animal trying to show intimidation and stature. Then suddenly he slammed his fists onto the desk then quickly flung the entire desk over onto its side.

"Fuck!" Negan shouted while the room of Saviors stopped what they were doing to stare at their leader and the scene that he was making. "Those fuckity fucking fuckers are all going to be FUCKING FUCKED!" Dwight had never seen Negan so angry yet the display hardly fazed him as his mind was somewhere else. For the first time in more than two years, Dwight wasn't angry.

Negan sat down in his chair in a huff while his shoulders slumped. Dwight stood up and walked towards the window beside Negan. He knew the Alexandrians. They were good people. _Exceptional_ people. Sherry was out of Sanctuary and in a place where Dwight didn't have to worry about her constantly. She was finally safe and away from Negan. She was finally free. Whether she _wanted_ to be free or not was something that Dwight hadn't considered yet but he knew she didn't have to suffer for any blunder he made under Negan's leadership.

Suddenly, a weight was taken off of his shoulders. He no longer felt any ties towards Negan. The depression that he felt throughout the entire duration within the walls was starting to dissolve. Instead, hope ignited within him. It was a familiar feeling that he didn't dare entertain before. But the Alexandrians hit Sanctuary in a big way and hurt Negan in the process. That was something that Dwight didn't ever think was possible.

"We need to try and get her back," Negan muttered while still sitting in his chair. Dwight turned around and saw Negan looking straight at him as if studying whatever motives Dwight had in his head. Dwight could feel the precariousness of the situation. With Sherry gone, Negan knew Dwight's allegiance was iffy at best. He didn't know what measures he was going to take but he needed to be careful with how he acted and what he said from thereon out.

Dwight thought to himself as he tried to play his cards right. He stood in the middle of both Negan and Alexandria in a position that proved dangerous and useful for either side. Quickly trying to think of what to say, he peered at Negan to take an active stance. "Did Alexandria take any supplies of ours?" He questioned.

"A part of our supply building is fucking burnt to a crisp," Negan responded. "Where we kept food is completely destroyed."

"How about Takuya and I head over to Hilltop to stock up on more food?" Dwight suggested. "While we're out, we'll scout around Alexandria to see if we can find out anything." He relayed all the information to Negan slowly while trying to read the angry man's emotions.

Negan nodded. "Good idea. I want you to take Carson with you though. I don't trust just you and Takuya going together alone. You all have to be back within twenty-four hours."

Dwight exhaled as he thought of his formulating plan already drawing to a standstill with Carson in the way. He had known Carson for years but was unsure if he could trust him with fixing something that Dwight wanted to correct _years_ ago. _If Carson makes the wrong decision…_ Dwight pondered to himself. _There are bigger things to lose if he doesn't fall through with what I want him to do._

"No problem," Dwight responded to Negan's request. "We'll do the best we can. And she'll be back." He tried to sound convincing and filled his voice with contempt in regards to the Alexandrians but inside, he was dancing with joy.

…

Dwight awkwardly ran to his house with his leg making it difficult. Takuya was already sitting on the porch as he watched his friend make his way to their shared residence. Dwight walked up the stairs and ran into the house while Takuya followed with begging curiosity.

"Yolanda!" Dwight yelled.

Yolanda quickly walked down the stairs with worry in her eyes. "Did they find Sherry?" She asked him and even appeared as if she had been crying.

Dwight put his hands on her shoulders as he stared down at the petite woman. "I need you and Doctor Mitchell to sneak into the loading truck. Everyone is too preoccupied with cleaning up the mess from last night. Stay behind buildings and houses. Make sure that no one sees you. That's important."

Yolanda's eyes widened as she looked to him with utter confusion. "What" She asked while trying to think of what Dwight was conveying to her. Then understanding what he meant, she scrunched her eyebrows nearly in protest while muttering something in Spanish. "Do you really think escaping is a good idea right now?"

"Yolie, Sherry isn't in Sanctuary anymore," Dwight revealed. "Negan might be busy with other important matters but I don't trust our old group being here when Sherry is gone. We need to get you guys out of here while the confusion is still around." Dwight peered to both Yolanda and Takuya. They were both in danger with Sherry's absence.

"I don't think I can leave permanently," Takuya responded.

"Why?" Dwight questioned.

"Megan is still here," Takuya answered shyly. "It's too dangerous to smuggle her out either. But the rest of Negan's wives are also in danger too."

Dwight nodded in understanding. He knew exactly how Takuya felt. "We'll figure something out."

"Where are Kevin and I going?" Yolanda inquired as her hand came up to her face upon the realization that she was leaving Sanctuary.

"You guys are going to stay in Alexandria," Dwight replied while still holding her shoulders. "You're going to be reunited with Jenna again."

Yolanda then brought her hand to her mouth and another hand to her heart as she immediately started weeping. She never thought that she was going to live to see the day.

"Okay," Takuya said with firm support. "How are you going to pull this off?"

"Winging it right now," Dwight admitted then glanced to Yolanda. "Make it to the loading truck. We'll be there in thirty minutes or less so be there way before then." Yolanda nodded and ran out the door not even worrying about the possessions that she was going to leave behind. She practically ran off the porch to let Kevin know about the plan.

…

Dwight and Takuya started heading over to what was left of the supply building. Low on armor, Dwight had his crossbow in tow but brought a rifle as well just in case a worse case scenario commenced. As they passed the bar, Dwight and Takuya both turned when hearing loud footsteps of someone running their direction.

"Hey!" Carson shouted while flagging them down. He caught up with them and adjusted his glasses on the rim of his nose then cleared his throat. "When are we leaving for more food storage?"

Dwight placed his rifle against the brick wall and reached for his crossbow behind his back. "We'll leave in twenty," Dwight replied. He then peered inside the bar to see old Hansen still cleaning up from Dwight's temper tantrum the night before. Looking back to his small group, he nodded towards the burnt supply building. "You guys head over and get whatever ammo you think we'll need. I need to do something before we go."

They nodded and continued walking towards what was left of the supply building. Dwight watched them for a minute then opened the bar door as Hansen peered up to the door to see who it was and smiled. "Good. You're back. You can take over my job with sweeping. My old man back is killing me."

Hansen held the broom out for Dwight to take but didn't make a move to retrieve it. Anxiety almost took hold of Dwight as he pondered what he was going to say to a person whom he trusted as a friend but unsure if he wanted to take the risk in case Hansen ratted him out. With a decision being made, his top priority was saving Sherry. Everything else was hindered insignificant.

Closing the door behind him, Dwight briefly glanced around to see if they were completely alone. "Hansen, how happy have you been while living in Sanctuary?" He asked in passing.

Hansen shrugged with indifference. "It's better than nothing," he said half-heartedly and sat down on the closest bar stool.

"What if I gave you the chance to let you live in a better place?" Dwight inquired and reached for a bolt and began to load it. Hansen only looked at Dwight with a scoff with slight disbelief that he would harm him. In all honesty, Dwight had no intention of killing the older man but wanted him to be perfectly clear what happened if the conversation didn't go the way he wanted it to.

"And just what do you think you're doing, son?" Hansen asked.

"This information is important to keep between us," Dwight cautioned, "I don't know if I can trust you to keep this a secret if you choose to stay in Sanctuary." He took aim at Hansen to again reiterate the severity of his situation. "I'm giving you an opportunity to leave this shithole in exchange for something even better. Hansen, if I were you, I would take the offer."

"What would happen if I said no?" Hansen asked in almost a comical manner.

"I wouldn't let you leave the bar alive," Dwight threatened lightly.

Hansen took a deep sigh as if pondering the two options that laid before him. Then with a smile, he stood up from the bar stool and shrugged. "Where are we going?"

…

"Sherry, this is just something that we do for everyone that is new to Alexandria. We interview everyone to try and find their strengths but to also find where they will thrive in our community," the woman named Deanna invited. She situated a camcorder in her house as Sherry sat quietly near a wall that had books upon books in a built in bookcase. She stared at all the titles with curiosity while noticing that there was a wide variety of literature that spanned upon many genres.

"Do you like reading?" Deanna asked her.

Sherry turned her attention to Deanna who sat on the couch opposite of her. The woman sat there smiling at her and waited patiently for an answer. Sherry got the assumption that she could wait all day until she received any kind of response.

Everything about Alexandria felt like she was on a different planet. Despite being under Negan's control, everyone in the community seemed happy. The environment was a breath of fresh air. She had spent nearly two and a half years inside Sanctuary's walls. For that time, she craved a place like Alexandria. Now that she finally had what she wanted, it felt incredibly off-putting to her. Sanctuary became her new normal.

Deanna was still anticipating a response as Sherry continued to think to herself. She sighed and nodded. "I have done a lot of reading for the last couple of years. You have quite the collection."

"If you ever see a book that you like, feel free to borrow whatever stands out to you," Deanna offered kindly. "Most of these books belonged to my husband. He loved every single one of those pages. Probably read each one five times."

Sherry didn't miss the fact that Deanna addressed her husband in past tense. She nodded in understanding that Deanna had her own fair share of sorrow. "Was this your house before everything happened?" She asked while changing the subject.

Deanna shook her head. "My family is originally from Ohio," she began, "When the chaos started, we were heading back in that direction but ended up here and have stayed here since. Now it's just my son, Spencer, and myself. My husband, Reg, and my other son, Aiden, have passed on since everything happened."

"I'm sorry," Sherry sympathized quietly.

"Do you have any surviving family members?" Deanna asked.

Sherry shrugged an answer. "I don't know if my family is dead or alive. They were pretty much on the other side of the country when everything happened."

"And can I ask how long you were in Sanctuary, Sherry?"

"Too long," Sherry responded and broke eye contact as her gaze drew towards the camcorder behind her interviewer.

Deanna looked at what Sherry was staring at then back to her. "Don't worry about the camera. This is just so I can go back for reference."

"So you have filmed everyone in Alexandria?" Sherry questioned.

Deanna nodded with a warm grin while obviously enthused with their method of welcoming newcomers. "Every single person in our community has been interviewed like you are. I used to be the one in charge of everything here, did you know that?"

Sherry shook her head. "How did Rick get to be in charge?"

"We needed someone like him to step up. He has only been here for half of a year but since then has made crucial improvements to our home. He has shown us how to survive beyond our walls and against men like Negan. I cannot imagine what life would have been like if we didn't find Rick when we did. We have become stronger thanks to him," Deanna explained then looked to Sherry with a different tone in her voice. "Have you been a part of any other community besides Sanctuary?"

"I was part of a group when everything went down," Sherry answered politely while trying not to zone out while thinking of the much better time she had with her people.

"Jason and Terri's group, correct?" Deanna pressed.

Sherry nodded again. "I still have some members in Sanctuary right now."

"Did you know your group before all of this happened?"

Sherry thought of sitting a couple of rows behind Haruki and Takuya in their mutual college class that they had together in what felt like another dimension. "Not really," Sherry responded.

"And what did you do before?" Deanna then questioned further. "Did you have any kind of hobbies or things that could be of use to us?"

"I was a college student," Sherry replied but thought of things that she could provide to a community such as the one that she temporarily resided in. "My mom used to can vegetables and fruit. She made a lot of other things like jam, salsa, and soup. And they would last for a very long time. I would have to help her over the summer. It's been awhile but I feel like I can remind myself. My dad planted grapevines in our backyard. The vines came from our relatives in Italy."

"Reg took me to Italy for our twenty year anniversary," Deanna reminisced fondly. "What part of Italy does your family live around?"

It was completely unnerving how friendly Deanna seemed. The woman hardly knew Sherry but smiled warmly without an ounce of skepticism. "Neive," Sherry responded.

"Have you ever been to Italy yourself?" Deanna asked going off topic again.

Sherry nodded. "Several times. Last time was for my great-grandma's funeral."

"My belated condolences," Deanna offered and sat back on the couch. "Puoi parlare Italiano?" The words were separate from each other with an American accent but Sherry knew what Deanna was trying to say. _Do you speak Italian?_

"Mio padre mi ha insegnato," Sherry replied. She stopped as the phrase rolled right off the tongue like she never stopped speaking her second language for the last two and a half years. Glancing up, she saw Deanna looked to her with confusion as it was apparent that she didn't follow what Sherry said. "Um...my dad insisted that I learn so when we would travel to Italy, I would understand my relatives that live there."

Deanna nodded then patted her lap with both hands as if to indicate the interview was drawing to a close. "We have grapevines here in Alexandria. Those pesky things...we have tried to maintain them since we've been here but none of us really know how to get the most fruitful supply…" Deanna left the message hanging for Sherry to finish what she was implying.

With a deep sigh, Sherry gazed at the camera again then back at Deanna. "I don't know how long I am going to be here," she confessed. "I can show you how while I'm here but anything beyond that…"

"Why are you here, Sherry?" Deanna asked with finality in each word.

Sherry crossed her arms over her chest and stared out of the window to her right. She could see small children playing while mothers or fathers watched from a distance as they tended to herb gardens or simple chores to keep busy from the distractions of outside the walls. The children laughed while chasing each other as the sound had been something that she hadn't heard since Jason and Terri's family were around. Remembering that they now resided in Alexandria, she knew her purpose had never changed from what it was before. "If I could do anything to keep your home the way that it is, I need to help," Sherry then turned her gaze back to Deanna. "Sanctuary… The Saviors… Negan isn't out to protect the people around him like he says he is. He just wants to have control and would crush this place for no reason other than that he has the power to do it." A lump formed in her throat but she continued with conviction. "I'm here because I hate him and want to see him destroyed."

Deanna smiled. "Our feelings our mutual then."

…

"These are the grapevines I was talking about," Deanna showed as she pointed to the dried up plants.

It was a considerable amount of grapevines to Sherry's shock. A reasonable sized vineyard with more than a dozen shoots protruding from the ground. She considered the sight while thinking what her father would check first if his vines in their Chicago backyard appeared in such bad shape. "Do you have a knife?" She asked while already gesturing at the knife sheathed on Deanna's belt clip.

Deanna gave the knife to Sherry as they both stepped towards the small vineyard. Kneeling next to one of the grape shoots, Sherry motioned for Deanna to do the same. While Deanna leaned down, Sherry pointed to the trunk. "See this?" She asked as her knife followed upward towards the multiple vines that shot up. "Too much growth. All of these roots are mature enough that you can prune yearly at the same time every year."

"What time of the year is that?" Deanna inquired.

"Early in the year when it's still cold," Sherry instructed, "I think it's too late now so you'll have to wait another winter? And when you prune, you want to make sure that the main trunk is the only thing that is sprouting up the cordons." With that, she pointed to the metal wiring that hung horizontally above the plant. "You have to manipulate the vines to grow onto the metal wiring. Once you harvest, they just hang there, you pick them and do whatever you want with them."

Deanna beamed at the new information. "You fit well here."

Sherry wasn't expecting what her first day in Alexandria was going to be like however she didn't expect it to be anything like it the reality before her. She thought maybe she was going to be locked in a holding cell. To her, that seemed more appropriate. Her status in Sanctuary could appear intimidating even if the truth was much more gruesome. Showing someone how to prune a grapevine was the last thing she thought she was going to do.

"I'm not staying long," Sherry repeated, "Just helping with the cause."

"Aunt Sherry!" She heard a child yell in the distance while inhaling a sharp breath.

Turning around, she saw Jenna, Teegan, and Troy bolting her direction with Jason and Terri walking hand in hand behind them. Jenna looked like a young lady compared to the last time Sherry saw her. Teegan and Troy had grown several inches in height and were clearly not the same boys. Yet there was still something childlike in all of them still.

Tears welled up in Sherry's eyes. She hoped to see them again but as time went on, it became doubtful that the McCoy family had survived at all. Hearing the words _Aunt Sherry_ was a most welcome sound.

Teegan reached her first and hugged her so tight that she fell backward to the ground from her kneeling position. She could hear Deanna start to laugh as Sherry subtly handed the older woman her knife so as not to stab the children on accident during their reunion. Troy and Jenna joined in the pile up with joy evident on their faces.

For years, she hoped that they made it out of Sanctuary alive. The children looked happy. No longer did they have the same fear that surrounded them constantly. In Alexandria, they were free to play and do what they wanted. Sherry had to admit that Alexandria was paradise.

The kids got off of her as she stood up straight in time for Terri and Jason to make it to the grapevines. Terri was crying with arms outstretched while Sherry gladly accepted the invitation for the warm embrace. As they hugged, Sherry could see others in Alexandria starting to stare in their direction. There weren't many reunions anymore. It was natural that others wanted to share in the joy and live vicariously through them. They held each other for a long time as Terri wept on Sherry's shoulder with relief.

"Your shoulder," Terri commented as they broke apart, "Is it still okay?"

Sherry snorted. _Of course she would still be worried about my shoulder,_ she thought. "It's been okay for years. It gets dislocated every so often but that's it."

"I'm glad that's the least of your worries!" Terri exclaimed but then thought better of her words. She smiled apologetically. "I meant with your shoulder."

Sherry nodded but felt a strange feeling in her stomach. Overwhelmed with the new location and her old friends, everything was coming at her all at once and the changes seemed to rattle her.

"We've missed you so much, Sherry," Terri cried. "We have missed _all_ of you guys. We are so glad that you are still alive."

"I'm happy that you guys made it here," Sherry exulted but with bewilderment still lingering. She almost felt like she didn't have a place amongst part of her old group anymore. They were too different and she didn't fit the image of Alexandria's people. What confounded her was that she was actually homesick for Sanctuary. Not so much the place but rather the familiarity. _What's wrong with me,_ she chastised to herself but continued with her conversation. "This place is very nice."

"Is my mom okay?" Jenna spoke up beside Sherry. A warmth flooded Sherry's heart upon hearing that the young girl still regarded Yolanda as her mother even if they weren't blood related.

Sherry nodded with a grin. "She's still alive," she informed, "We'll get her out of Sanctuary soon, Jenna. I promise." Jenna hugged her again with the good news being a sweet melody to her ears.

"Holy shit!" Jason chimed in as he glanced from Jenna to Sherry with humor in his eyes. Sherry was happy that he hadn't changed one bit.

"Don't say that in front of the kids," Terri scolded harshly to her husband.

"Sorry, but seriously, holy shit!" Jason repeated as Terri rolled her eyes while the kids laughed. "Jenna probably has an inch over you now, Sherry."

The girls gave each other a side hug in togetherness at what seemed an awkward situation for the teenager and Sherry alike. Even though Sherry felt uncomfortable in Alexandria, she was glad she knew some people. It gave her some regularity to hold onto.

"It's great that you guys get to see each other again," Deanna praised looking on at their reunion. Troy even hugged her middle in obvious adoration.

"Can Sherry sleep at our house?" Troy requested in a pleading voice as he looked up to Deanna.

"I think that's up to our guest, not me," Deanna said with a smile.

Sherry gazed at each of the kids hopeful faces and then at Terri with a shrug. "I don't know exactly what my living arrangements are here."

"I see no problem sharing a space with your friends, Sherry," Deanna proclaimed, "If that would make you feel more at ease while you're here then it seems that's what should happen."

"It would," Sherry replied with gratitude. "Thanks."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Rick approaching their small gathering. He continued to walk their direction as Teegan told her all about their home in Alexandria and how they had video games and movies that they could all watch. Both boys became enthusiastic with Sherry's living arrangement and by the time Rick made it to their little circle, Terri was shushing to keep them from bursting with too much excitement. Rick didn't seem to mind as he even smiled at the McCoy family in greeting.

"Care if I steal Sherry away for a second?" He asked as he addressed them in a friendly manner. Only knowing Rick for less than a day, Sherry already drew parallels to Negan and Rick. She noticed their similarities to each other and stark differences. One of the major differences was the way Rick seemed to get along with his people. Sherry was convinced that every Savior either worshipped Negan to the point of unhealthy obsession or that they hated his guts.

Terri gave Sherry another embrace then placed a hand on her cheek as she soaked in Sherry's presence. "We're so happy that you're here."

Jason gave her another bear hug for the second time that day. Sherry didn't have the heart to tell him that she wasn't a big fan of bear hugs since being with Negan but hugged him in return anyways. They broke away as he reached for his wife's hand and stepped away. "We don't have much of a dinner going on right now because rations are low but what we do have will be prepared at sundown."

Sherry was sure whatever rations she would be given would be better than what she was living with before in Sanctuary. "Thanks," she responded simply with a light smile.

They gave her one last look of elation and were off as the kids followed quickly behind or raced towards their home. Deanna smiled at Rick and pointed to the grapevines. "Our Miss Sherry knows how to prune these."

Rick nodded. "That's good," he started, "We'll need these to start growing sometime in the near future."

"I'll leave you two alone to talk some things over," Deanna concluded but looked to Sherry, "I will see you soon. I want to write down every word you have to say about the grapevines."

Sherry grinned warmly at Deanna as she started walking away. When it was just Rick and her, she let out a sigh and beheld at the community while shaking her head in a daze.

"Shocked?" Rick inquired reading exactly what was going through her head.

"I really didn't think a place like this existed anymore."

"I felt the same way when my group got here," Rick concurred, "I maybe thought it was _too_ good to be true."

"Who was in your original group?" Sherry asked.

"All of those people in the van last night," Rick disclosed, "I was with those three from the beginning. Quite a few others joined my group since then. Jason and Terri said that your group came from Georgia." Sherry nodded. "That's actually where we are from too."

Rick's face then took a serious form as he glanced at Sherry. "Can I guarantee tonight that you aren't going to go sneaking back to Sanctuary?"

Sherry could visibly see his mind forming plans behind his blue eyes. "I said I would stay here for now. I meant it. Why do you ask?"

"Me and a couple others are heading out for more aid from another community," Rick explained, "I wanted to ask if you knew about these people at all and if they can be trusted. Jesus called them the Kingdom."

Sherry scrunched her eyebrows at the name _Jesus_ then focused on what Rick wanted to hear. "I don't know much about them. Negan didn't really discuss military tactics with me. I _do_ know that they put up a small struggle before the Saviors overtook them. I think they would be more than willing to form an alliance with someone else as long as they knew they had extra manpower."

"This meeting needs to work," Rick stated, "We won't be able to win a battle against Negan if it's just Hilltop and Alexandria."

Sherry looked at him and folded her arms as he wore a concerned look on his face. "I'm not much of an optimist anymore but one thing I am sure about is that everyone is fed up with Negan's control. Going to the Kingdom isn't the worst idea in the world."

Rick breathed in and out deeply. "Do you have any more information that would be beneficial to us?"

"Don't underestimate him," Sherry uttered speaking of Negan, "He's a manipulator and he's highly unpredictable. He'll do whatever he needs to so he can establish that he's in charge."

They stood in silence as they viewed Alexandria while lost in their own thoughts. Both hoped that they would get some advantage in the upcoming war against Negan. They had to.

…

"This can be your room," Troy said cheerfully, "Teegan and I don't mind sharing for a little bit."

Sherry glanced at Troy and smiled. "Thanks, Troy. That's really thoughtful of you."

"Don't mention it," he replied and beamed from the compliment. Sherry studied her new and temporary space in the McCoy house and saw that it was quickly rid of toys or any of Troy's belongings. It was a brightly lit room with a queen size mattress. It appeared that Terri tried to make the room as presentable as possible in the short amount of time of knowing Sherry was going to live with them.

They both heard Teegan yell at Troy to join him in playing video games downstairs. Without another word, Troy left as the offer to play was far too enticing. Sherry sat on her new bed and immediately tried to find another bed for Christy to sleep on. Remembering that her roommate was not with her anymore, Sherry sighed as tears escaped.

She couldn't shake the feeling of missing Sanctuary. Knowing it wasn't the place she missed but rather the people, it felt weird to be relieved of a duty that she placed on her own shoulders. She had spent years protecting her friends. Swallowing her grief, she knew she had a role in overtaking Negan and his Saviors but at the moment she felt she didn't have much of a purpose.

Sherry glanced outside and could see the gate that blocked Alexandria from the rest of the world. She felt as if she merely traded one prison for another. Even though Alexandria was nothing like the place she just escaped from, the confusion was in her mind all the same.

"You okay?"

Sherry turned to see Terri standing in the doorway staring at her with caring eyes. "Our first day here felt strange too," Terri admitted as she sat next to Sherry on the bed. "Compared to what we came from, the two places are polar opposites."

With a nod, Sherry sighed and looked out the window again. "I just feel weird here. I feel like I need to go back. I told Jenna that I would stay with Yolanda and keep her safe… What am I doing here?"

Terri put a hand on her shoulder. "It's natural to feel weird during a new transition," she claimed, "Just know that it's a good transition, Sher. You don't have to go back. It was never your responsibility to keep our group safe in the first place. Dwight's still there. He'll make sure that they are okay."

Sherry inhaled when Terri unknowingly stepped on a landmine. Even speaking his name made her want to lock herself in her room and cry for days. It hurt more knowing that he was still under Negan's relentless control.

"You've had a long trip, Sherry. Would you like to take a shower?" Terri asked.

Sherry thought of when she lived in the house in Sanctuary. All of her friends had a system in place to guard the bathroom door when they took showers just in case Negan was headed towards the house. He tended to enjoy stepping in the shower with them if there ever was an opportunity. The girls would give each other warning knocks on the door when they found out that he was close but sometimes that wasn't enough.

The apprehension didn't go unnoticed by Terri who smiled to Sherry with comfort. "What do I need to do to make you comfortable while you shower?"

"Can you guard the door for me?" Sherry asked as her voice cracked with some emotion trying to slip out.

"Sure thing," Terri consoled and gave Sherry a side hug, "I don't know exactly what happened since we left Sanctuary, but if you ever need to talk to someone about it I am always here for you."

Sherry squeezed her back. "Thanks, Terri. It was not a good experience in Sanctuary. I never thought in a million years that it would just end. I just have a feeling that it's not over yet. I can't let myself relax until I know that it's finished and Negan's six feet under."

"I wish that we could have been there with you guys," Terri lamented, "I had so much regret that we left you guys behind to face Sanctuary alone."

Sherry shook her head vehemently. "I am in no way sorry that you were able to leave when you did. I am so happy that you escaped. It only got worse. If the kids were there… I'm just glad you guys were long gone before they had a chance to catch you."

"The scars on your back?" Terri inquired, "Jason saw them earlier this morning."

"We were all beaten in different ways when we were dragged back to Sanctuary," Sherry explained indicating that was when she received them.

"The mark on Dwight's face… Is that how he got it too?" Terri questioned boldly.

"No," Sherry said almost too harshly. She thought to redeem her tone and add onto her answer as Terri had no clue what happened in regards to his burn. "No… He got that from something else."

Terri let the subject drop with the way Sherry reacted. She stood up and refused to question Sherry any further regardless if she was dying to know what happened to her friends while they were still in Sanctuary. However, it was a door that Sherry didn't have the heart to discuss.

"I will guard the bathroom door for you," Terri assured, "It'll be nice to wash up."

Sherry could admit that it would be nice. It had been less than a day that she spent time with Negan and his scent engulfed her. Whether that was evident to those around her or was just evident to her, she agreed that freshening up was something that she wanted to do.

Looking out the window one more time, her gaze was drawn to the gate. She could see Rick, Daryl, and the man they called Jesus packing a truck with some light supplies. She hoped that their meeting with the Kingdom would prove to be advantageous. The sooner that she could be reunited with the rest of her group, the better she would feel.

...

"Connor to Dwight. Do you hear me? Over."

Dwight heard Connor over the walkie-talkie attached to the dashboard. He drove as Takuya was sandwiched between him and Carson in the cab of the large loading truck. Inside the truck was a stowed Kevin, Yolanda, and Hansen unbeknownst to Carson. None of them said much as they slowly drove toward Hilltop. Unsure of his plan, he thought of distracting Carson as his three friends had a chance to slip away under the protection of the more docile community.

Grabbing the walkie-talkie, Dwight pressed the button to speak. "This is Dwight."

The order of business wasn't set in stone but Dwight had the full intention of helping the Alexandrians if they chose to fight instead of comply. Dwight's loyalty was wherever Sherry was. He was glad that she was in the group that he preferred to be in. The last he heard was that Negan supposedly wanted to play dumb. They all knew it was the Alexandrians that attacked Sanctuary but he didn't want to retaliate just yet. Nor did he want to let Rick know that he was wiser than letting on. Dwight knew he had something else up his sleeve. His hate for Negan didn't blind him to the fact that his boss happened to be very methodical. Whatever he had planned was going to be a brutal retaliation.

"We were alerted that a car came from Alexandria and is driving towards the Kingdom," Connor relayed through the walkie-talkie again, "Negan would like you guys to scout around to see what they are up to. Over."

"Copy that. We'll head over there now. Over," Dwight replied as he slowed the car down to turn the vehicle around.

When he came to a complete stop, they all heard a crash in the back of the truck. Carson looked behind him with his eyebrows furrowed. "Pretty sure there should be nothing in the back," he remarked, "We should go check and see if anything valuable fell."

Dwight breathed slowly as he tried to turn the truck around on the narrow road by taking it in drive then reverse a number of times. "I'm sure it's nothing. We'll just keep going?"

"What if food fell over?" Carson argued, "Negan will be pretty pissed off if we weren't careful with whatever rations we have back there."

"I'm sure that whatever it was is alright," Dwight reassured through gritted teeth. He went in reverse one more time as they heard something fall in the back once more. Dwight closed his eyes in frustration and groaned. _What the hell are they doing back there?!_

"We should really go check," Carson decided as he opened his door and walked out of the truck without waiting for Dwight to turn the vehicle off.

"Carson! No!" Dwight warned as he put the truck in park and ran to get to the back of the truck before Carson had the chance. Takuya was right on his heels however Carson already unlatched the truck and slid the door open wide. Dwight reached him in time to see Carson gawk at what was inside the truck and then looked to Dwight and Takuya in question.

Hansen was standing up and had his gun pointed at Carson while Kevin and Yolanda were as far away from the entrance as they could possibly be. Dwight didn't miss the minor detail that the two were holding hands.

"What the fuck is going on?" Carson asked Dwight.

"These has been a change in plans," Dwight informed cryptically.

"No, no, no, no, no," Carson said with his voice raising, "You can't smuggle people out of Sanctuary, Dwight. Do you know how much trouble you will be in if he finds out you are doing this?"

"He's not going to find out," Dwight growled and drew his pistol from his belt holster then aimed it at Carson. Carson mirrored Dwight's action with his own gun as the situation turned into a standoff with Takuya aiming his assault rifle at Carson's heart.

"We aren't going to leave any loose ends," Dwight maintained, "Not this time."

"What you are doing is treason, Dwight," Carson started, "How stupid can you be to go against Negan? Do you really want to jeopardize your life?"

"What the fuck are you going to do about it, Carson?" Dwight challenged, "You have three guns pointed in your direction. You think killing me is going to make your odds better?"

"You are dragging me into this shit, Dwight," Carson complained, "I could disagree with this all I want but if Negan finds out, I could be killed right along with you!"

"Or we could just kill you now," Takuya pointed out. Dwight stared at his friend in surprise but knew he was bluffing. Takuya was never a violent person by nature. "What's it going to be?"

Carson decided to change the game and instead of pointing his gun towards Dwight, he aimed it at Kevin instead. "We aren't doing this, Dwight."

Dwight had enough of Carson's empty threats and aimed his gun at Carson's hand then fired his weapon. Yolanda gasped and put a hand to her mouth as Carson instantly dropped his gun and held his injured hand. Yelling in pain, he stared at Dwight in shock.

"Motherfucker!" Carson shouted at Dwight. Takuya stepped forward and retrieved Carson's pistol that fell to the road. "What the fuck, man? I wasn't going to actually shoot Kevin!"

"Sorry, Carson," Dwight said in a hollow voice, "You don't aim a gun at one of my friends and get away with it. That's not going to happen anymore." Dwight limped close to Carson and stared him down. "What does Negan have hanging over your head? Why do you take orders from him? Everyone has a reason why they follow him. What's yours?"

"My brother!" Carson exclaimed as blood continued to pour from his wound. "He's at Hilltop. He's their doctor! If Negan knows I went against him, he'll kill him! Then everyone in Hilltop is fucked!"

"Everyone is fucked if we don't stop Negan, son," Hansen spoke up while still aiming his gun at Carson.

"He's right," Takuya started, "We have an opportunity to stop him. Don't you want to be a part of it?"

Carson's shoulders fell in defeat. "I would love to overthrow Negan. I really would. Nothing would make me happier than to see him go. But what if it doesn't happen?"

"Then I will tell Negan that you had nothing to do with it and you can kill me personally for good measure," Dwight promised, "I wouldn't be mad at you if you did. I know I am putting you at risk but I don't have a choice." Dwight lifted his pistol again but matched the barrel to align with Carson's forehead. "I don't want to do this. But I will if you rat us out. Trust me, I have been ratted out before and it didn't end well for him."

Takuya stirred in place as they waited for Carson to respond in any way. After several minutes he sighed in defeat. "Fine," he relented, "I'm dead either way."

"Maybe not," Dwight uttered as he put his gun back in his belt buckle, "Let's head to the Kingdom. I'm guessing that's Rick and Jesus in the car headed over to chat with King Ezekiel. With each community represented, we don't have a better chance than now."

"What are you suggesting we do?" Carson asked.

"We're going to tell Rick that we are on his side and then we'll go from there," Dwight declared as he reached for the handle to close the truck up again. He stopped and stared at Hansen who still stood tall with his gun pointed at Carson. "For shit's sake, old man, give me your gun."

Hansen brought his gun close to him in defense. "But it's mine."

"I'll give it back to you when we get to the Kingdom," Dwight compromised, "But right now, you are scaring the shit out of Yolanda." Dwight climbed into the truck to retrieve the gun himself. With Hansen bordering the age of seventy, he didn't put up much of a fight. Once Dwight had the weapon in his possession, he glanced over to Kevin and Yolanda. "I'll negotiate with the community leaders. With any luck, they'll take you guys in."

"Can we trust them?" Yolanda asked.

Dwight nodded. "Jason and Terri are in Alexandria. Both are prominent members of the group. You can at least trust Alexandria."

"Negan won't notice these guys are missing?" Carson asked but grasped his hand in pain, "Holy fuck, this hurts!"

Dwight stepped out of the truck and closed the door behind him leaving Kevin, Yolanda, and Hansen in the darkness. "We're in a war. He's in charge of keeping hundreds in check, he's not going to notice three of his people are no longer there. Not with everything else going on."

"He noticed Sherry was gone right off the bat," Carson argued.

"Yes, but that's his...wife…" Dwight stumbled over the word as he walked back to the front of the truck as the word stung when he said it. "Of course he noticed she was missing. That's different."

They all got seated back in the front as Dwight turned the keys to start the truck. As Dwight made his final shift towards the Kingdom, Carson let out a deep breath then spoke up. "You better be right about all of this. Otherwise a lot of people will die because of you."

"Like I said before," Dwight began, "We're at war. People are already going to die."

…

They made it to the Kingdom border as they all unloaded out of the truck and waited for an escort towards the high school building. Ezekiel was known to be theatrical as a leader. One of the obvious spectacles was that he called himself a king. The people treated him like one as well. As a king, he had interesting customs that he made sure even the Saviors abided by. The rule to enter the Kingdom was to sit and wait at the border until someone escorted them to headquarters. Their headquarters was an old high school building. All the Kingdom residents took shelter there and around it.

"Is there a reason why we are just standing here?" Hansen complained. Like half the people that were in Dwight's group, he had never been to the Kingdom before.

"Have to wait," Dwight notified, "That's the rule."

Soon they saw fifteen men all on horseback headed their direction from inside the Kingdom border. Kevin, Yolanda, and Hansen all looked equally shocked to see the men in front of their own eyes. All of them appeared strong and could easily defend themselves.

The man who led them was named Richard. Dwight knew the man from nearly beating him to death when they first ran into the king's men in the middle of the forest a couple of years ago. Richard proved to be a faithful follower of Ezekiel and didn't say a word about the Kingdom; even when Negan threatened to kill him with Lucille.

"Dwight!" Richard shouted in a less than friendly manner, "Saviors aren't supposed to come pick up supplies for another week! What brings you here?"

"I want a meeting with Ezekiel," Dwight replied immediately cutting to the chase.

"Out of the question," Richard said abruptly, "Your people can start heading back." With that, he motioned for his men to turn around as they all started heading back to the high school.

"What if I can make it so Negan never had to tax the Kingdom anymore?" Dwight yelled after them.

Richard quickly pulled the reins on his horse and came to a stop as he turned around to stare at Dwight. "You serious?" He asked in disbelief. "How?"

"Give me a meeting with Ezekiel and I'll tell you," Dwight answered vaguely. Richard scoffed but smiled. Dwight returned the smile and knew he had his foot in the door. His friends were finally free of Sanctuary and Negan.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES, TRIVIA, & FACTS -**

 **#1 - Negan's house is torn to shreds even though we know the only Alexandrian to go into his house was Rick. So we can conclude that the destruction didn't come from the Alexandrian's and was instead some vented aggression on Negan's behalf. First, trying to find Sherry and then second, becoming inconsolably upset by throwing his stuff everywhere. Of which he does when tossing his desk onto its side when it's confirmed that Sherry is nowhere to be found within the walls of Sanctuary.**


	10. Chapter 10

**AUTHOR'S NOTE - Want to relive when Dwight & Sherry first met? Their back stories before the apocalypse? How they got to Sanctuary in the first place? Or when Dwight got the burn mark on his face?**

 **Be sure to check out the first two novels in this series if you haven't already! Book 1 (Many Hearts to Tread) and Book 2 (Nothing Else Matters). This is Book 3.**

 **This chapter has DIRECT quotes from the comic books. Robert Kirkman deserves credit for those particular lines.**

 **ALSO, whenever I write for Daryl Dixon, I tend to seek the help from my friend and fellow writer, apenny12. She writes Daryl so perfectly. So she helped with the Dixon area of expertise. Thanks, doll!**

Chapter 10

"What is this? Buckingham Palace?" Hansen asked sardonically as they were ushered into the Kingdom.

"It may as well be," Dwight muttered under his breath while slowly losing patience with the older man's insipid questions. "Shut up."

They were each given a horse to ride the rest of the way to the high school. The school was surrounded by a city that was all under control of the Kingdom. The borders had been barricaded by various pieces of scrap metal or whatever else they could find. Even some school buses were used as a blockade from the outside world. It proved to work well against both the living and dead.

Yolanda and Kevin looked as if they were lost in amazement. They were fearful with plans going in motion as fast as they had been but faith was apparent as they glanced at all the new sights outside of Sanctuary's walls. Dwight could only imagine how they felt after years of being cooped in one spot. They had been in Sanctuary for so long.

"Hanging in there, Yolie?" Dwight asked looking over to her.

Yolanda nodded as she viewed all the tall vacant buildings on their way to the Kingdom's headquarters. "This is so surreal," she breathed, "The world is so much larger than I remember it being."

"You could see Jenna soon," Takuya commented hopefully.

She sighed at the thought with a grin creeping in place. "She's got to be thirteen years old now. I can't believe that."

"I can't wait to meet her," Kevin said with encouragement, "She sounds wonderful." Yolanda glanced at him and smiled wide. She couldn't wait for their reunion with her small family either.

Richard was leading the way but slowed his horse down to be next to Dwight. Dwight and Richard separated themselves from the rest of the group as they followed a couple of feet behind.

"I'm guess that your visit isn't just a coincidence," Richard addressed, "You know about our other guests that came from Alexandria, don't you?"

Dwight nodded. "I do."

"I don't know whether to trust you or not," Richard claimed as he viewed Dwight with an ounce of skepticism.

"You have every right to have reservations," Dwight mumbled, "I deserve it."

"Why now?" Richard thought to ask, "You've been Negan's right hand man for years. Why are you going against him now?"

Dwight could see the high school in front of him in the distance. More men that were armed looked towards them with mild curiosity. "Someone dealt me a new hand," Dwight muttered but decided to give a clearer answer, "I woke up this morning and discovered that the hold Negan had over me was gone. Now I feel like everyone else deserves to have that same feeling."

The sun was starting to set as they got to the high school. One by one, they each got off their horses as they all stood frozen at the sight of what was greeting them at the front door on top of the steps. A man with dark skin and gray dreadlocks stood in front of them beaming from ear to ear. Dwight was used to this introduction every time that he saw King Ezekiel. What surprised Yolanda and Kevin the most was not the near warm welcome they received from the Kingdom's leader but the animal that stood beside him.

"Is that a… tiger?" Yolanda asked. They stood transfixed at the creature while worried about it pouncing on them. They knew how to defend themselves against walkers but a tiger was something that could easily maul them and they would put up very little fight.

"Dwight, my friend!" Ezekiel greeted with praise, "Please tell Negan that we aren't ready for the supplies that he asked for. We send our deepest apologies."

"That's not why we're here," Dwight clarified as he motioned towards his friends behind him.

"Oh?" Ezekiel mused while visibly intrigued, "Enlighten me then. Why are you really here?"

"I want to speak with all the leaders that are here representing their communities," Dwight proposed as he took a step closer to Ezekiel. The tiger started growling at him as Dwight put his hands up in surrender and stayed in place. "Rick and Jesus are here. I want to speak with them."

"Shiva, hush!" Ezekiel said quietly to the tiger and patted its head, "And what do we owe the pleasure of this meeting?"

"I, and the people that I brought with me, don't want to be a part of Sanctuary anymore," Dwight replied, "We want to be on your side."

Ezekiel raised his eyebrows in surprise as he looked to his men to see what they thought. Richard returned his gaze and nodded his approval. With that Ezekiel smiled and gestured to the school building behind him. "Follow me," he invited, "It seems that we have a lot to discuss. And I won't be the only one with questions."

…

"What's your name?" Rick asked Carson. When the Kingdom was alerted that Saviors were at the front gate, Rick and Daryl waited in the high school building just in case Negan had hard feelings about the night before when they attacked Sanctuary. They watched from the window as Dwight spoke to Ezekiel on the steps of the school building. Rick waited. He had been running into Dwight a lot as of late but assumed his appearance in the Kingdom wasn't a coincidence.

As the group of six Saviors were escorted into the building, Rick was soon alerted that they defected and chose to be on their side. Daryl scoffed at the idea and warned that it could be a trap. Rick stifled a grin forming. He had hoped members of Sanctuary would fall away from their leader. Dwight wasn't just a civilian and had worked close with Negan for years. Having him on their side was opportunistic. Doubts were still present in his mind before he could be on board with Dwight. After all, it was the same man who killed Abraham and threatened Father Gabriel. Those actions wouldn't be taken lightly.

Interrogations began. They started with Carson. Rick and Daryl were the only ones quizzing the fallen Saviors as they requested to review all six.

"Hector Carson," he replied. Sweat fell down his face and Rick could see his evident discomfort. "I go by my last name though."

"Why are you going against Negan?" Rick questioned.

Carson looked around the classroom as he sat down in a school chair connected to a desk. Rick stood in front of the room as Daryl made himself comfortable in the teacher's chair with his feet propped on the desk. Rick noticed his fresh wound on his hand but paid no attention to it.

"I didn't really have much of a choice," Carson admitted, "Dwight didn't give me a choice. I do see the benefits of going against Negan though. My brother is Hilltop's doctor. If I could make his life better, I would. Even though I was forced into this idea, I still have the chance to make things right."

"How many walkers have you killed?" Rick asked.

Carson scrunched his eyebrows at the question. "Way too many to keep track."

"How many people you kill?" Daryl asked.

"Twenty nine people," Carson said.

"Why?" Daryl asked.

Carson took his glasses off and wiped at his eyes noticeably melancholy about the subject. "I have never confessed this to anyone," he admitted, "It's easier to shut your mind off and not talk about it. I killed twenty nine people because Negan asked me to. You don't say no to him. No matter what the cost. Denying him will lead to an even bigger cost that you can't afford to lose."

"Can we trust Dwight?" Rick asked.

"Yes," Carson said without a doubt.

…

"What's your name?" Rick asked.

"Yolanda Cedillo," she answered.

"Why are you going against Negan?" Rick asked.

"I have never been _with_ Negan in the first place," Yolanda responded candidly, "I was part of Jason and Terri's original group. Jenna… That's my daughter… I have wanted to see her again since we got separated. But I stayed in Sanctuary. The night that we tried to escape my ankle broke. I couldn't jeopardize the chance of the children getting away and being free of Negan. My opportunity left me as Negan dragged us back. My purpose in Sanctuary was to keep others in line. I don't want to be used like that anymore."

"What you mean by keepin' others in line?" Daryl questioned.

Yolanda appeared grievous at the question but Rick waited for her to take her time. "Negan would always threaten to kill me if others didn't obey him," she began as her voice shook, "He has made others in my group do unspeakable things only to keep me alive. And I did what he asked so they wouldn't suffer on my behalf."

Trapped in her own nightmare, Yolanda wiped away tears. "If you only knew what he has forced all of us to do, you would be so grateful that you never had to endure what we have for so long." Looking up to Rick through tears, she withheld a sob from escaping and continued with her reasons of leaving. "I'm so sorry. It's just so overwhelming to finally be free. We never thought we would get out of there."

"It's okay," Rick assured with understanding but still kept a professionalism about him to show he still needed answers from her. "How many walkers have you killed?"

"Maybe just above fifty?" Yolanda responded but was unsure of herself. "I haven't killed a walker in a long time though."

"How many people have you killed?" He asked again.

"I have been fortunate to have never been in a situation where I needed to kill someone," Yolanda said confidently, "Not yet at least."

Rick and Daryl made brief eye contact as they both agreed that Yolanda's character was genuine. "We are headed back to Alexandria tonight," Rick began, "Part of your old group is there along with Sherry. Would you like to come with us and see your daughter again?"

Yolanda burst into tears of joy as she nodded in approval to the idea. Rick understood the separation of family, particularly his children, and how much it tore him apart before. He knew exactly the kind of emotion that Yolanda felt.

"I have one more question," Rick asked after several moments as Yolanda tried to collect herself.

She nodded again. "Anything."

"Can we trust Dwight?" He asked.

"Out of everyone in Sanctuary, there is no else that despises Negan more than he does," Yolanda said without skipping a beat, "When I say that I would trust him with my life, it's because he's already proven himself to do just that."

…

"What's yer name?" Daryl asked.

Hansen preferred to stand as he looked at Daryl straight in the eye. "My name is Hansen Williams," he responded then folded his arms trying to look as intimidating as his interrogator.

"Why you goin' against Negan?" Daryl pressed further.

"Well, it's not like I was really attached to the man," Hansen replied as a matter-of-factly, "I had a son who was supposed to pick me up from my assisted living residence. Never made it. A couple of weeks later, I ran into the community before it was called Sanctuary. And back then, it _could_ have appropriately fit the term. I was with the group before they even called themselves the Saviors. There wasn't really anyone in charge back in that first month. Everyone was just trying to help each other and establish some organization. Then Negan started smooth talking the people around him. Soon walls started going up and more sketchy people were invited in our little paradise. He was really good at convincing everyone to see his vision for the future."

Rick leaned forward as Hansen relayed the origins of Sanctuary. It seemed that Hansen probably knew more than most. "Did he have any family with him? When it all began?"

Hansen shook his head. "No family except Lucille," he answered, "She didn't always have that barbed wire on her either."

"We're going to have a lot of questions for you in the future," Rick stated, "Would you be willing to come with us to Alexandria? Any information you have could help us. You can stay with us for however long you would like."

"I would," Hansen accepted.

"How many walkers have you killed?" Rick asked.

Hansen snorted. "Want me to be honest?" He asked.

"Yeah," Daryl grunted.

"I have killed two walkers," Hansen admitted with a grin, "On my way to find a safe zone from the assisted living. Once I was in Sanctuary, everyone else did the work. They said I was too old to rely on for nothing."

"How many people have you killed?" Rick asked.

"Before or after everything happened?" Hansen countered back.

Rick studied Hansen to see if he was joking but the man appeared to have been sincere rather than showing some dark sense of humor. "Both," he responded.

"I never killed anyone after everything went down," Hansen revealed, "Before I killed thirteen men." Rick and Daryl looked slightly wary of his answer after already inviting him to come to Alexandria.

"Didn't you guys forget?" Hansen inquired with a scoff. "Wars happened before this world too. I'm a veteran!"

…

"Takuya Hamasaki," he said as Rick considered Takuya in particular. He didn't look like a Savior. Similar to Carson, it seemed obvious that someone like Takuya had zero qualms breaking loyalty from Sanctuary.

"Why are you going against Negan?" Rick asked.

"He's not the leader I choose to follow," Takuya answered. "I have seen true leaders give everything they have for the people who follow them. Negan is not that person. He convinces his men that they cannot live without him. They follow him blindly for protection."

"How many walkers have you killed?" Rick questioned.

"I have probably killed at least one walker for every day it has been like this," Takuya said, "Give or take."

"How many people you kill?" Daryl asked.

"Seventy-eight," Takuya revealed.

"Why?" Daryl asked.

"I was in Negan's army," Takuya said, "I didn't have a choice."

"Can we trust Dwight?" Daryl asked.

Takuya nodded. "I trust him with my life. You can too."

…

"My name is Doctor Kevin Mitchell," Kevin said.

"What kind a' doctor?" Daryl asked.

"Only a psychologist," Kevin clarified, "But you would be surprised at how many people I have been able to help throughout this duration. Many people have demons of their past to discuss." Daryl immediately looked down to the floor almost afraid that Kevin could see right through him.

"Why are you going against Negan?" Rick asked.

"I have spoken to many people that are affected by Negan's rule in Sanctuary," Kevin answered, "These people, I am including as well, have been through so much. Many have committed suicide because they couldn't handle any more of Negan's demands he has made of them. Even with people confiding to me of their trials, I feel entirely helpless because they are stuck in that place. If I could do anything to help my patients be completely free of Negan, I will do so. It's a cause I can get behind."

"How many walkers you kill?" Daryl asked.

"Thirty two. We usually ran when there were signs of trouble," Kevin responded.

"How many people you kill?" Daryl asked.

Kevin stayed silent as he looked to his lap waiting for words to escape his mouth. "I won't pretend that I haven't done things that I regret. I have killed five people."

"Why?" Daryl asked.

"They killed my wife and daughters," Kevin revealed with shame, "At the moment, I felt my family deserved justice."

Rick nodded as he pondered the psychologist's words. "Can we trust Dwight?" He asked.

"I haven't spoken to him personally about his problems but I know a lot about how he came to be Negan's right hand man from others who confided to me from their perspective," Kevin said. "His loyalty holds no bounds. He's the kind of man that you want on your side."

…

Kevin walked out of the classroom and into the hallway where the rest of his group was waiting. Everyone was individually questioned except for Dwight. All of them glanced towards Dwight periodically as they wondered what would happen next. Each side of the hallway was guarded by Ezekiel's men while they were all stripped of their weapons and at the Kingdom's mercy.

"What did they ask you?" Dwight whispered to Takuya who stood beside him. Leaning against the lockers, he folded his arms and glanced at both sides of the hallway clearly on edge. He could almost feel his burn heat up because of the betrayal. Dwight forced himself to forget the consequences that could happen because he went behind Negan's back. Above any punishment that he could receive, he knew it was the right thing to do.

"Backgrounds, kill count, reasons for leaving Sanctuary," Takuya muttered back, "They asked about you."

Dwight nodded as he gazed down at the floor deep in thought. He knew the risks they were taking when choosing to trust him. They weren't going to take his alliance lightly but knew they were looking for any kind of advantage over Negan and his army. Having someone who knew Negan as well as he did would prove useful for everyone.

Rick and Daryl stepped out of the classroom and considered everyone in the hallway. Once Rick spotted Dwight in the crowd, he nodded and started walking the other direction while gesturing for Dwight to follow. "Come with us."

Dwight stood up straight but glanced at Yolanda before following Rick's orders. "And my friends?"

"Just you," Rick settled and continued walking away. Daryl waited for Dwight as his worry for his group didn't subside.

"Don't worry, Dwight," Yolanda whispered, "We'll be okay."

With a sigh, Dwight nodded and started limping the direction that Rick was headed with Daryl guiding him throughout the hallways. Dwight knew that his group would be okay in the Kingdom. However, he still had trust issues. In Sanctuary, he could keep an eye on all of them or at least know their well-being. Away from Sanctuary was more of a mystery.

"You for real?" Daryl asked Dwight as they kept on walking.

Dwight looked up to see Rick opening doors under a sign that read _auditorium._ "Yeah, I'm serious."

They said nothing else the rest of the way. When they came towards the wide doors that brought them in the theatre, Dwight saw Ezekiel sitting on a throne at the center of the stage with his tiger, Shiva, sitting next to him on the floor. Jesus was already in a conversation with the Kingdom's leader when they stopped to see the first portion of interrogations had finished.

"What a change of events in the last several days," Ezekiel marveled as he studied Dwight, "We are all very interested in wondering why you have chosen to help us." They all made it to the base of the stage while everyone continued to eye Dwight carefully.

"I think I know why," Rick broke in but still looked at Dwight with slight skepticism. Whatever Dwight said in their meeting had to sell for Rick to be convinced instead of him thinking he was phoning it in. "Jason and Terri told us about your time in Sanctuary while they were still there."

Dwight raised an eyebrow and could feel his skin growing cold. "How much did they tell you?"

"I was able to piece some things together," Rick disclosed, "Jason told us that Negan's wife was someone of interest to you."

 _There it is,_ Dwight thought. As hard as it was to talk about Sherry in the last several years, he had to remember that she was safe and no longer in Negan's clutches. Yet it still stung to think about her. "The last I heard, they were separated, thanks to you guys."

"You need to tell us everything," Rick insisted, "I need to know why you are choosing to go against Negan. Everything in detail."

"Going against him wasn't a tough decision," Dwight started, "I hate him. This morning I found out that you guys took Sherry and my decision was made from there."

"How did you get to be in Sanctuary?" Rick inquired. Dwight was sure that he only asked for the sake of knowing if the other stories from his group aligned with his. It was a test.

Dwight thought back on the night when they were ambushed by Negan's group. Immediately transported back to when everything changed, he could remember every detail. Where everyone slept on the forest floor, the braid in Sherry's hair, the sound of twigs being broken outside of their camp just before Negan made his appearance.

"Negan came into our camp acting as if he were a lone wanderer," Dwight began, "At that point, we didn't really have a reason to second guess anyone. We never encountered someone like him before. Once he was in our camp, I had this feeling in my gut that something was off with him. Everyone in our group was sleeping except Sherry and myself. Sherry could sense it before I could. She was always good at judging someone. Before we knew it, we were surrounded."

Dwight glanced up to Rick. "The other night? When he surprised you on the road? He killed one of your members, right? Just to prove a point?"

Rick nodded sadly while Daryl pretended that the kill didn't bother him more than it actually did.

"He did the same with us," Dwight related, "Just to establish that he was the boss. Her name was Hannah. We were taken to Sanctuary immediately after."

Dwight acknowledged everyone in the room before continuing on his story. "Negan likes to use people to get what he wants. Since day one, we were stuck doing everything that he wanted us to do only to keep each other alive."

"What did he want?" Daryl asked quietly.

Big brown eyes came to Dwight's mind. Someone who was terrified for her well-being asked him the same question years ago. "He wanted Sherry," he answered quietly, "He said that if she didn't comply with his every demand that he would kill the group. He told me that if I didn't do what was requested, then he would hurt her. For years, we had no choice but to play his game. We tried once to escape. Jason's family and Jenna were able to leave but we were dragged back almost immediately. Everyone was dealt with in their own way."

"That's when I met you," Jesus recalled. Dwight remembered meeting Jesus for the first time in Sanctuary where he was kept for spying on Sanctuary.

"I couldn't lose anyone else in my group," Dwight continued, "Negan made us all believe that if we made a wrong step, blood would be on our hands. But whether I did what Negan asked or not, I am not free of regret. I did that son of a bitch's bidding for two and a half years. I have killed hundreds of people. I'll admit, some were bad people and maybe deserved what they had coming. But others were good… Negan made me kill them anyways. I did what I could so Sherry didn't have to suffer."

Not holding anything back, Dwight pointed to his face where his scar rested. "I didn't always have this. After a while of living in Sanctuary, it started to drain me. For obvious reasons. Sherry and I… we were caught with each other. Just a moment of wanting to forget the hell that we were living in. The punishment was an iron to my face. Sherry's…" Dwight stopped but knew her part of the story was one of the main reasons he loathed Negan with every fiber of his being. "Sherry's punishment was…" A lump caught in his throat as he forced himself to move forward. "Negan brought me to his house that same night and raped her upstairs. I had to listen."

Taking a deep breath to recollect himself, Dwight tried not to get too caught up in one of the worst memories of his entire existence. His group of listeners gave him respect and waited for him to continue on when he was ready. There was slight anger that Dwight could feel in the room from the story that Dwight gave. They knew Negan was a bad man but to hear it from Dwight's intimate perspective was another ordeal that confirmed Negan didn't even have a soul. They were all visibly shocked with Dwight's account and its graphic nature.

"After that, I never did anything out of line," Dwight told, "I never disobeyed him. I was a good soldier and I did what I was told." He shook his head from his words. "I was also a coward. I did a lot of terrible things that I can't take back. But today I found out Sherry's gone. Now I am here. I no longer have to put up with Negan's fucking bullshit anymore. If I have a chance to finally kill that son of a bitch, I will."

Dwight stared down at his feet and thought of what else to say. He looked up to Rick in question. "Does that answer your question of why I want to turn my back on Negan?"

Rick sighed but nodded his approval while almost feeling sorry that Dwight had to mentally relive it. "How do you propose we go about this moving forward?"

"Whatever the best option is, I'll do it," Dwight volunteered, "I am at your disposal. Rick, you need to trust that I will do whatever it takes. I can help you end his reign of terror. Free all the people existing under his thrall. I can make things right. Just trust me."

He considered his audience again then looked back to Rick with conviction. "I can tell you his secrets...his weaknesses… I'll bring you that asshole's head on a silver platter. And then it won't matter if you trust me. Because that motherfucker will be dead. And this nightmare will, at long last, be over."

Ezekiel grinned from ear to ear at the speech. It seemed that at least one leader was enthusiastic that their joined army between Hilltop, Alexandria, and the Kingdom would finally have the upper hand.

Rick peered at Daryl as his second in command made eye contact with him. Daryl nodded as Rick looked back to Dwight with no more apprehension with their new ally. "How many walkers have you killed?"

"A lot," Dwight said in a low voice.

"How many people have you killed?" Rick asked.

Dwight breathed through his nose slowly. "Three hundred and seven people."

Rick's eyes widened at the response as Dwight knew it was lengthy number for anyone. "Why?"

"Because Negan demanded it," Dwight replied with disgrace, "The ratio between the good and bad people doesn't matter. It still doesn't atone for the ones that deserved to live."

Rick slowly advanced towards Dwight as they stood nose to nose. Dwight had several inches over Rick but Alexandria's leader could hold his own merely by the way that he carried himself.

"We are choosing to believe you," Rick concluded, "Don't make me regret it."

Dwight stuck his hand out. "I promise you," he said, "You won't." Rick shook his hand as Dwight gave the slightest smile in gratitude. Things were finally starting to go his way.

…

Commotion was in the high school as all the Kingdom residents gathered together within the cafeteria for dinner time. All of the members of Sanctuary sat in the corner at a table while others looked on. Many recognized Dwight's face. They remembered that he was someone to fear. Every so often, they would look from the corner of their eye and glance at him warily and then go back to eating their food. Dwight tried to pay them no attention. Since he told Rick officially that he was switching sides, he started to feel better about any past doings he did while working for Negan. However, he didn't feel that completely pardoned for his past misdeeds.

Dwight knew that war was headed their way. He would have to kill more people before that chapter in his life was finished. The only good thing that came out of knowing that detail was that his kills would derive of Saviors.

Someone patted his back as he glanced up and was pulled out of his train of thought. Ezekiel stared down at him with a smile still on his face. He looked at everyone sitting at Dwight's table with amazement. "Look at you all," he addressed, "Our allies grow everyday. It's nice to know there are more among us."

Yolanda looked up to him with gratitude. "Thank you for taking us in."

"I understand that you'll be leaving us in the morning for Alexandria," Ezekiel mentioned making small talk.

She nodded with a smile. "Rick is taking us to be with the rest of our people."

"Not all of you, I'm sure," Ezekiel remarked as he eyed Dwight.

Confused by the way he said it, Yolanda gazed at Dwight who avoided her altogether. "Oh?"

Hansen and Kevin leaned in at the table with question in their eyes. Dwight cleared his throat to speak but felt bad that the ideal picture Yolanda had in mind was going to be delayed. "Takuya, Carson, and I are going back to Sanctuary as soon as possible. We are all working as double agents until this whole thing is taken care of."

Ezekiel noticed everyone's change in demeanor from the announcement and patted Dwight's shoulder once more. "I will leave your group to sort some things through," he stated and began walking away to speak with members of his own group.

"You're joking," Yolanda said flatly, "You can't be serious. Dwight you have the opportunity to be rid of Sanctuary and you're going back? You could be with Sherry in Alexandria as early as tomorrow. Why are you putting that off?"

"I said if there was any way that I could help, I would," Dwight said as he picked at his food in front of him, "With the three communities combined, there is more than enough manpower. Their army would be unstoppable if they also had help from the inside, don't you think?"

"It would be less suspicious if all three of us returned as well," Carson defended for the sake of Dwight, "Ezekiel is giving us some supplies that we would have gotten from Hilltop so that will help cover our tracks."

Yolanda appeared as if she was going to cry. "I don't know if I could go to Alexandria without you guys," she muttered and looked up to both Takuya and Dwight.

"Yolanda, you need to go," Dwight encouraged, "You need to be with Jenna. We'll be okay. Plus, you could let me know how Sherry is doing from time to time."

"Why don't you check on her all by yourself?" Yolanda countered.

Dwight shook his head but didn't say anything.

Their table fell silent as Yolanda and Kevin exchanged looks while wondering what was going on in Dwight's head. After several moments, Yolanda spoke up, "What happened years ago wasn't your fault, Dwight. She doesn't blame you for what Negan did to her."

Dwight suddenly stood up from the table no longer having an appetite. I'm going to go have a smoke outside," he announced then looked to Takuya and Carson. "We'll leave in an hour." With that, he strapped his newly returned crossbow to his back and left the room.

…

Dwight stepped outside as he saw the some members of the Kingdom loading their truck with some food and other supplies. Earlier in the day, Richard drove the truck in front of the high school as they started stocking for Dwight's group so they would have an alibi when they returned back to Sanctuary.

A sixth sense emerged as Dwight could feel someone's eyes on him. Staring in all directions, he saw nothing but darkness. He reached for his crossbow and even though he saw no one before, he was still unconvinced. With nightfall obscuring his vision, he walked further away from the high school building and towards a small playground that a stood close to the front entrance. Low and behold, he saw Daryl posed to attack with his crossbow drawn and aimed at Dwight.

They stared at each other and said nothing for a long period of time as they tried to size each other up. Dwight was first to put his weapon down. After several seconds, Daryl put his own crossbow down but still stared at Dwight warily. Putting his crossbow over his shoulder once more, they continued to stand awkwardly from their encounter of almost shooting each other in the face. Dwight had no idea what to say to make the tension less distinct.

Dwight searched his pockets for a cigarette and lighter but remembered that someone in Alexandria pocketed them days ago. He sighed in annoyance and started walking away. Dwight figured he would just go back inside instead of avoiding Yolanda like he was currently doing.

"Hey," Daryl grumbled behind him. When Dwight turned around, he saw Daryl holding out cigarettes and a lighter that looked eerily similar to the one that he had in Alexandria.

Dwight tried to act miffed that Daryl was the one who stole his cigarettes in the first place and took what the man offered instead. He nodded a thanks and grabbed a cigarette from the box and gave it back to Daryl who took one for himself as well. They each took turns lighting their smokes and stood in a comfortable silence as they watched the group of king's men who were loading the truck for the Saviors.

"It will be a sad day when I can no longer find cigarettes in stores," Dwight commented more to himself.

Daryl shrugged in response. "I gotta decent stash back at Alexandria. Ain't gonna last forever though."

Dwight couldn't help but notice every sentence that came out of Daryl's mouth almost sounded like a growl. The man walked around as if he had a chip on his shoulder.

"If you have such a decent stash, then why did you take mine?" Dwight asked sardonically.

"'Cause I didn' like ya," Daryl grumbled.

Dwight inhaled more nicotine and nodded. "Fair enough," he muttered under his breath.

Daryl pointed slightly at Dwight's crossbow. "How long you had that?"

"This particular crossbow I have had since I have lived in Sanctuary," Dwight answered, "I used to have a Barnett Jackal when everything happened but this baby is a lot more accurate. It would have been way out of my budget if currency was still a thing."

"What kind is it?" Daryl asked while seeming mildly intrigued with their conversation.

"Intercept Axon. What about yours?"

"Stryker."

"How long have you used a crossbow?" Dwight inquired.

"Can't remember a time I didn' use one," Daryl responded, "We used 'em for huntin' growin' up. What 'bout you?"

"College," Dwight said with a shrug, "You have me beat."

They stood in silence once more as they continued to watch more supplies load in the truck. Dwight knew Negan would be pleased with as much food that was being stocked.

"You really think all of this shit's gonna end soon?" Daryl questioned.

"For everyone's sake, I hope so," Dwight replied, "I'm sick of living the way I have been. It would be nice to imagine a world the way Alexandria is being ran. You guys have been lucky."

Glancing at Daryl, the redneck as already staring at him. Dwight hardly knew the guy but knew that he was trustworthy. He couldn't place it on any particular thing but something about his character seemed dependable.

"I don't mean to ask much of you and I hate to ask you any favors but do you mind doing something for me any chance you have?" Dwight requested.

Daryl finally nodded after several seconds. "Sure."

"Keep an eye on Sherry for me," Dwight nearly pleaded, "I know she's a lot safer in Alexandria than she was in Sanctuary but I'll feel weird with her being so far away all the same."

Daryl nodded again and considered Dwight's appeal. "No problem."

"Thanks," Dwight said.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES, TRIVIA, & FACTS -**

 **#1 - "Someone dealt me a new hand," is a term alluding to Dwight always referring to playing his cards well. The "someone" is Rick as he changed the game completely. "A new hand" is a play on words and was almost intended to be a pun because Rick only has one hand in the comic books...womp, womp, womp!**

 **#2 - At this time, Maggie hasn't taken up the title of Hilltop leader. She's just getting her bearings after Glenn died and is seeing how terrible of a leader Gregory is. And since Gregory is refusing to go against Sanctuary in the comics, Jesus is kind of filling in until they find someone who fits their standards.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sherry could hear the kids playing downstairs as they all laughed amongst each other in whatever they were doing. She heard Terri shush them many times saying that "Aunt Sherry was still sleeping." Sherry laid awake in her bed with the curtains drawn. She left the window open so she could listen just in case bullets started flying. She didn't know what the Saviors were planning on doing but she knew that they could retaliate at any given moment.

For the most part, Sherry couldn't sleep. She was dying of worry about her group. She hoped that Negan would be preoccupied with other things to even think about punishing the people she cared about. But she just told Rick the day before that Negan was unpredictable. She didn't know what to think.

Sherry stretched and finally decided to get out of bed. She had been out of Sanctuary for a whole day. Already it started to feel like centuries since she left. Sherry enjoyed the feeling but she wasn't sure if she was completely happy of where she ended up. Her friends in Sanctuary made her feel genuinely at odds with herself. She didn't know whether her emotions should be happy or sad. So ended up being emotionless just so didn't have to settle on either feeling.

She walked to the window and opened the curtains up. She squinted at the bright sunlight as she looked outside to see what the Alexandrians were up to. Everyone just seemed to mind their own business. She could almost see a cloud over everyone's heads.

Sherry knew that Negan's power was starting to infect this place. Last night, she saw how little of rations the McCoy family had for their dinner. Negan required half of all of Alexandria's supplies so everyone was already feeling the burden that was set upon them.

Sherry looked to the dresser that was already stocked with clean clothes that were her size. She walked to it and opened the drawers to see what she could wear that day. She smiled when she saw that most of the clothes were what she felt like wearing. They were mostly dark colors that didn't draw much attention to herself.

Once she found another pair of black jeans and a long sleeve black shirt, she put them on and opened her bedroom door. The noises that came from downstairs stopped as Jason and Terri's family knew that she was awake.

She walked downstairs with her socks and shoes already on and walked into the kitchen where everyone was eating small amounts of oatmeal.

"Good morning, Aunt Sherry!" Jenna exclaimed with happiness.

Sherry smiled back at her. "You have to be the happiest teenager I have ever known, Jenna."

Terri put a hand to her heart. "Don't even say it. I can't believe she's old enough to be one." She said. "What do you have planned today?"

Sherry shrugged. "It's near the first of March, right?" She asked.

Terri nodded. "It's March 8th, 2013." She said.

Sherry looked to Terri visibly confused. "How do you know the exact date?" She asked.

"Deanna's made sure to keep track this entire time." Terri said. "Amazing woman, isn't she?"

Sherry nodded. "To run a place like this, she has to be."

Terri smiled as she took a washcloth to the kitchen counters. "She keeps on reminding us of the little things that are still important to have in a community. She already told us once everything calms down that we're going to have a party in honor of you being the new guest."

Sherry gazed back at Terri warily. "Really?" She asked.

"Every new guest gets one." Jason said as he entered the kitchen. "Can you imagine our shock from arriving from Sanctuary then going to a party with friendly people in Alexandria? At least you have some time to digest everything."

"Although I'm guessing it hasn't fully sunk in yet." Terri said looking to Sherry in concern. "You didn't say what you were going to do today, honey."

"I was thinking about pruning some grapevines. Deanna seemed enthusiastic that she'd have some grapes this year." Sherry said.

They smiled in approval thinking that she was adapting to the new way of life inside Alexandria. Truthfully, Sherry just needed to get her mind off things.

"I'll see you guys later." Sherry said as she headed towards the front door.

"We'll have lunch and dinner for you whenever you are ready for it!" Terri called after her. "Wait! You didn't eat breakfast!"

Sherry stopped and tried to think of the last time she had breakfast. She shook her head and headed towards the door again. "I'm not hungry." She mumbled.

…

The grape vines suffered a lot from too much overgrowth. Sherry had her work cut out for her. However, it kept her preoccupied while she was in Alexandria and for that she was thankful.

She could feel when someone's eyes wandered to her by various people that wandered throughout the community. She would turn around and see people go about their business as if they weren't caught in the act of staring. Sherry decided to pay them no mind and just focus on her work.

With pruning shears in hand, she cut as many vines and branches that she deemed had no use. She started to think of when she would help her dad with the grapevines in their backyard. Even though tending to the garden helped her get her mind off the present, she couldn't help but focus her mind on the past.

Her dad was a proud Italian and loved everything that involved the atmosphere of Italy. Most of all, he loved the music and the food. When they would tend to the garden, her dad would always start playing Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin while they worked.

While Sherry was pruning the plants, she started to think of the melodies that were ingrained in her memory. She continued to work for several hours and would also fix wires that snapped in between wooden poles.

"That's a beautiful tune. Where's it from?" She heard a woman ask behind her.

The unknown presence made Sherry jump and she turned around to face the woman with the pruning shears aimed at her. Sherry breathed heavily as she recognized the woman from when she was taken from Sanctuary. Sherry put the shears down as she scanned the woman's conduct. The woman, who she remembered as being called Carol, smiled at her now with trash bags and gardening gloves in hand.

Sherry looked at her in confusion. "Tune?" She asked.

"You were humming." Carol said. "Where's it from?"

Sherry couldn't remember when she started humming. The music just played in her head and she got caught up in the memories. She calmed her nerves again and smiled back. "It's called Buona Sera. By Dean Martin." She responded.

Carol placed the trash bag on the ground while she put the gloves on. "Do you mind if I help you?" She asked. "I would like to learn what you are doing so I can take care of them when you leave." She looked up to Sherry for confirmation. "You said you are leaving soon, right?"

Sherry nodded.

"Why?" Carol asked.

Sherry looked around at the paradise surrounding her then she looked down to herself. She shook her head in distaste and went back to pruning the grapevines. "I just don't really fit here." She said.

"No one blames you for the things Negan has done." Carol said as if reading her mind.

Sherry stopped and looked to the woman. The woman smiled in comfort back to her and then started picking the old branches up that littered the ground.

"You can't blame yourself for things your husband has done." Carol said. "Like the scars on your back. Did you do that or did Negan?"

"He did but it was only because…" Sherry started.

"Doesn't matter what you did. You didn't deserve it." Carol said cutting Sherry off. "One day you'll realize that all the guilt he has put on you isn't really your fault."

"You don't even know me." Sherry said to her. She didn't say it in a way that was to offend. But Sherry knew there were only so many people that could have known what her situation was like.

Carol looked back at her but said nothing. She looked at her directly in the eyes with an intensity that defied Sherry's when she demanded attention. "I know enough." She finally said. "And I know that none of what's going on is your fault."

Sherry felt as if she had been reprimanded by her mother. It wasn't an unwelcome rebuke. She knew she had to be constantly reminded that there was only one person to blame for the things that happened in her life. Even though Carol didn't know the situation, Sherry felt that she had been through her own trials to know what she was talking about.

A mutual respect started to form as they grew into a comfortable silence while working the grapevines. Sherry was surprised at how many grape vines they had in Alexandria. Once they started growing, there would be enough for everyone to use for jams, grape juice, raisins and wine.

After a while, Deanna joined them and started pruning her own share. Carol and Deanna immediately started conversation about security and other things pertaining to the community while Sherry decided to keep to herself and let the older women talk to each other.

She thought of her dad once more. Sherry hadn't seen a hallucination of him in Alexandria yet. She wondered if she would see him at all. She knew that seeing apparitions was one step closer to being crazy, but she enjoyed seeing him in one shape or form regardless.

"Don't you think, Sherry?" She heard Deanna ask.

She turned to look at Deanna and Carol who both gazed at her expectantly. "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening." She said.

Deanna smiled and started working again. "I was telling Carol that once everything settles down, it would be nice to start doing some trades with our neighboring communities. Maybe members of Sanctuary would be open to that?" She said as she looked to Sherry.

Sherry shrugged. "It would be nice."

"Do you think that a bad idea?" Deanna asked.

"I just don't know what the future holds. It's tough to plan when everything isn't set in stone." She said.

"Understandable." Deanna grinned. "I have a tendency to plan ahead of things."

"Your planning is what has made Alexandria great though." Carol said.

"Thanks. However, if it wasn't for your group, I shudder to think about what could have happened." Deanna said then looked to Sherry again. "Carol's group has done a lot for us. They are all leaders."

"Morning, Mom!" Sherry heard behind her. She didn't know why she was so jumpy today. She knew there were other people that lived in Alexandria but didn't expect the people would come up and talk to her. In Sanctuary, she was treated like Negan's wife. Hardly any Saviors spoke to her on a daily basis for fear of making Negan angry. The ones that did approach her were expected. She didn't like surprises.

Sherry turned around to see a tall man that smiled to Deanna. He looked to be a little bit older than she was and knew that it was the one living son that Deanna had. He smiled to Sherry and she could see the immediate attraction he had to her. It made her feel uncomfortable when he still looked at her.

"Sherry, this is my son Spencer." Deanna said. "Spencer, Sherry is new to our community."

"It's nice to meet you." Spencer said and stuck his hand out for Sherry to shake.

Sherry shook his hand but he held her hand for a little longer. She knew he was just overfriendly but she couldn't shake the panic she felt. She could hear them talking amongst each other as she looked around her in alarm. Sherry knew she was looking for Negan. She started to fear for Spencer who she just met. It was the reaction that Negan would have wanted her to have.

Sherry felt like she needed to get out of where she was or else she was going to have a meltdown in front of the strangers around her. She could hear the noise of iron on flesh while it burned. She could almost hear Dwight's yelling in agony until someone broke her concentration.

"Sherry, help me put these vines in this garbage bag over here." Carol said calmly. Sherry felt snapped back into reality as she looked to the woman. Deanna and Spencer were still talking about other things but Carol looked at her with worry evident in her face. She didn't know Carol's back story but she knew Carol knew what Sherry was going through.

Carol was suggesting that Sherry take a few steps away from Spencer without it looking completely awkward. Sherry was thankful for the rescue and walked away and towards Carol. The distraction helped Sherry not have a flashback to her time in Sanctuary.

"You don't think that was a dumb plan?" Spencer asked his mom as they continued to talk about Alexandria.

"I think Rick knows what he is doing and we should trust him." Deanna argued back to her son.

Carol looked to Sherry and muttered quietly so Spencer wouldn't hear. "Some people disagree with Rick's methods." She said.

Sherry nodded in understanding. "Opposition is always expected." She said quietly. She thought of Haruki in their meetings together as a group. Opposition didn't last long in the scheme of things with their new world.

"Don't you think we should just listen to what Negan has to say and let everything cool down?" Spencer asked. "We'd be protected by him and his men. It's not the worst thing in the world."

Sherry snorted at his remark to herself as she kept to her work.

"Do you disagree?" Spencer asked her.

Sherry was surprised that her reaction to his words didn't go unnoticed as they were all looking at her. "I'm here and not in Sanctuary. Of course I disagree." She said.

"And who are you exactly?" Spencer asked.

"Negan's wife." Sherry said. "And you should trust me when I say that you shouldn't trust him."

Spencer stood dumbfounded as he looked at her in bewilderment. Sherry knew he had nothing else to say while he was around her.

Sherry paid him no more attention as she looked to the grapevines. "I think we are finished." She looked to Deanna in question. "Is it okay if I go beyond the walls for a little bit? I'll be back before sunset."

"Alone?" Deanna asked.

Sherry nodded. "I'll be okay."

"I can send Spencer with you…" Deanna started.

"No." Sherry said. "I can take care of myself. I have a knife with me. I know you guys are low on ammo so I won't ask for a gun."

"Please be safe out there." Deanna said.

"I will be." Sherry said and picked up a couple of garbage bags full of vines. "Where do you want these?"

"You can drop them off at a couple of houses. They can use the vines for kindling." Deanna said. "Waste not; want not."

Sherry left without another word towards the gate outside of Alexandria. She needed to breathe and feel what it felt like to be out in the open space once more. Most of all, she couldn't deal with the waiting for what was going to happen in the future.

…

Sherry toured Alexandria's surroundings for the rest of the day. Once she finished circling around the gate's perimeter she started venturing further into the surrounding forest. Judging by the sun, she hypothesized it was nearing nightfall. She didn't have a destination in mind.

She should have felt safe inside gates but instead felt reminiscent of the six months before she ever came upon Sanctuary. She remembered a time when she hated sleeping on the forest floor. Now she only craved about the days when her group lived like vagabonds. At least they were free.

She walked around the forest while the sun started setting. She looked up to the sky and saw there wasn't a cloud in sight. She decided that she should try and head back to Alexandria before it got too late.

As she was heading back to Alexandria, she walked slowly and heard everything around her. Suddenly, she felt on edge. It was too quiet. She felt as if she was being watched. Immediately, she thought of Negan. She knew he probably knew where she was. Sherry hoped that he wasn't coming to take her back already. She knew that was always a huge possibility but didn't want it to happen yet.

She stopped walking and tried to hear everything around her once more. Then she heard growling coming to her left. Adrenaline started flowing through her as she smiled wide. She only had her knife with her but she knew she was going to have fun killing something outside the walls for once.

She looked to her left and saw three walkers headed her way with the intent to eat their prey. She walked away from them and unsheathed her knife. She stopped and waited for them to walk the rest of the way towards her. Sherry was ready to fight them.

Then she heard a silent whoosh as a walker fell to the ground with a bolt to his head. Sherry turned to see where the bolt came from and saw the man named Daryl standing behind her.

The growls got closer to them as he quickly loaded another bolt. She turned to see the walkers getting closer and decided to not wait up for Daryl to load his crossbow. She kicked the closest walker as hard as she could as it tumbled backwards and ran into the walker behind it. They both fell to the ground while Sherry took her knife to the first walker's head. The other walker started to stand up once more as it looked to Sherry with hungry, dull eyes. She took her knife out of the one walker and held it up high to strike once more on the last walker that was posing a threat. Another bolt whizzed by her side and hit the walker in between the eyes. The growls stopped and all was quiet.

Sherry turned to look at Daryl with wide eyes. She felt on edge once more with overwhelming helplessness taking over. She hardly knew the person that she was alone in the forest with. She wanted to tell herself that he was a friend of Rick's. She trusted Rick. But she didn't know Daryl.

"I could have handled that." She said as she gestured towards the walker. He walked over to the two walker's with his bolts and yanked them out of their skulls.

"Yer welcome." He mumbled back at her. "Why you out here by yerself?"

"I needed some space. How did you even find me?" She asked.

"Tracked you." Daryl said. "You ready to head back?"

"Are you my escort or something?" Sherry asked.

"Nah." Daryl said. "Just ain't safe out here."

She eyed him and then looked down to her feet. "Promise you won't try anything as we head back to Alexandria?"

He nodded. "Long as you don't try nothin'." He said.

They started walking back towards Alexandria but stayed off the road just in case any Saviors decided to scout that close to their boundaries. Daryl said nothing to her and she said nothing to him. Her thoughts weighed heavy on other things than small talk. Daryl didn't seem the type to take about trivial things either.

Once they could see the front gate to Alexandria, Sherry stopped. She felt a melancholy take over her as she stared at the gate. Sherry had so much to contemplate in the last couple of days and it seemed as if everything just started to pile up on top of each other.

"What's the matter?" Daryl turned to see her still not moving a step forward to the gate.

"I don't even know where to begin." Sherry said. "You can go ahead. I don't feel like going back in there just yet."

"Why?" He asked skeptically but his voice was full of concern at the same time.

Sherry looked to him and then looked back at the gate. Alexandria was everything she wanted in a community. In that moment, she thought of what it would have been like if her group came to Alexandria before Sanctuary. Hannah and Dean would have settled down and watched children play. They would've comforted each other in their personal grief and spent the rest of their lives together.

Haruki would have been alive. He would have eventually learned skills that could have proved useful for everyone. There would have been no reason to sell anyone out. Takuya would have been able to keep his best friend.

Yolanda and Jenna could have been together and they would have let their adoptive mother and daughter relationship blossom.

Things would have turned out drastically different for Dwight and Sherry. They could have been something. They would have avoided a lot of heartbreak without Sanctuary even being a memory.

Sherry felt as if everything was so messed up. She was glad that Jason and Terri's family received the happy ending they deserved. To her, everything else felt up in the air. She hated the feeling of unknowing. So much of her family were still suffering in Sanctuary. She didn't know if they were dead or alive even.

Sherry didn't know if it was desperation or if she even trusted the Alexandrians. She knew Jason was on their side and seemed fine with the authority, but she dealt with untrustworthy people before. She didn't want to put all of her eggs in one basket but felt she didn't have a choice.

She sighed and looked to Daryl. "There is so much that's fucked up right now. I don't even know where to begin." She said.

"Like what?" He asked after several moments of silence. Sherry could tell he teetered on trying to care yet didn't want to impose on her thoughts. He didn't seem like the person who talked about feelings.

"I don't know where to pick up a life. I don't know who the person was in Sanctuary that I used to be." Sherry confessed. "Who am I supposed to be now? After everything that has happened it's not the easiest to pretend it didn't happen. Jason and Terri have gotten used to how things are in there. I still feel like I'm suffocating."

Daryl didn't say anything but listened to what she said. He looked down to his shoes as Sherry could see thoughts rolling in his head. He wasn't a talker. Especially to people he hardly knew. She didn't expect him to say anything. She didn't expect him to understand what was going on in her own mind.

"Maybe things will get better sooner than you think." He said.

"I hope so." Sherry said.

"You can trust Rick." Daryl said. "He'll take care of all the shit that's happenin'."

"Again, I hope so." She said.

They stayed silent as Sherry stayed put. She still wasn't ready to go back in Alexandria. "How were things at the Kingdom?" She asked.

"They're joinin' up with us." Daryl said. "We had some new people come to Alexandria that want to help too."

Sherry nodded. "That's good. That'll help a lot."

"We should get inside." Daryl said.

She took a deep breath and nodded again. "Okay." Sherry said.

…

They made it inside the gate as they both went their separate ways. Sherry started walking to Jason and Terri's house that was further into Alexandria. When she got closer, she could see the lights were still on and the house appeared to be in an uproar. It was past dinner time and she didn't expect the McCoy family would have company this late. Sherry walked closer to the house and could hear Jenna wailing. Alarm hit Sherry as she started sprinting towards the house as fast as she could.

When she got to the house, she could hear multiple voices talking with one another. She opened the door and walked into the house. She stood frozen at the sight in front of her and hoped she wasn't experiencing another hallucination.

Jenna and Yolanda stood next to each other with their arms wrapped around each other. They both looked to Sherry with smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Kevin stood close to the two of them as he also smiled in Sherry's direction. Jason and Hansen looked to be talking to each other but stayed silent to look at yet another reunion among their friends.

Sherry's lip started to quiver as she covered her mouth. The people that she worried about were in Alexandria. They were finally safe. She closed her eyes while tears fell. Sobs started to escape as she fell to the floor. She couldn't take the amount of gratitude she felt at that moment.

Yolanda and Terri immediately rushed to her as they both knelt next to her. They hugged and cried with her as they all felt happiness to finally be together again. Another weight fell off of Sherry's shoulders. The responsibility for Yolanda and Kevin's life was no longer her burden to hold.

Yolanda smiled and held Sherry close. She cried with Sherry as they both mentally thought of their two years in Sanctuary together. They both had been through so much. It was hard to imagine it was over.

"Are you tired, sweetie?" Yolanda asked. Sherry knew she meant more than physically exhausted.

Sherry nodded and kept on sobbing. "I'm so tired." She responded.

"It's almost done. Everything is almost over." Yolanda said.

Sherry wiped at her eyes and looked to Yolanda. There were so many things to ask her. "How are you here?"

"Dwight smuggled us out the morning after you escaped. It turned out to be a good idea. Everyone was too distracted to notice that we were missing."

"My sisters are still in Sanctuary?" Sherry asked referring to Negan's other wives.

Yolanda nodded sadly. "He would've noticed they were gone before Dwight could have gotten them out." She said.

"Dwight and Takuya?" Sherry asked. "Where are they?"

Yolanda took a deep breath and looked at her. "They are still in Sanctuary as well. Dwight is going to play as a double agent so everyone who allies with Rick has an advantage." She explained.

Sherry felt a lump form in her throat but she knew Negan wouldn't kill any of them. They were each too valuable to him in a fight against the other communities.

Jenna joined them on the floor and smiled. "Thanks for keeping my mother safe." She said.

Sherry started crying again. She made a promise to Jenna long ago that Yolanda would be alive for them to see each other again. She was glad she was able to keep her promise.

Yolanda held Jenna's hand and looked to everyone with a smile. "So what do we do now?" She asked.

…

Rick came over to their house shortly after followed by other Alexandrians. Daryl, Carol and Carl were among them. Deanna came with her son Spencer who still looked bitter about their entire situation. Sherry didn't pay him any mind as she refused to have anyone rain on her parade. Most of her original group were together again.

A woman named Sasha joined them along with a man named Eugene. They both looked skeptically at Sherry but didn't say anything to her. She knew there were many in Alexandria who didn't trust her because of her status she had in Sanctuary as Negan's wife.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" Rick said to the house full of people. Everyone quieted down as they looked to their leader. "We are going to war with Negan. Soon. From what Dwight has told us, Negan is playing dumb. He'll come here in a couple of days to pick up supplies like he said he would. Before then, we're going to go on a supply run but we're going to make a detour to the Kingdom. Everyone in our allied communities will start training for war. Eugene has started a project on how to make more ammunition for us all. Hopefully that will be done on time?" Rick asked as he looked to Eugene.

"I assure you, my bullet will be done and will cause much affliction to the bastards on the other side." Eugene said in a one toned voice.

Rick nodded. "If Negan is going to play dumb, we'll play dumb too. And when he comes here to pick up supplies, we'll attack the Saviors on our turf." He said.

"When do we leave for the Kingdom?" Jason asked.

"We'll leave as early as tomorrow." Rick said. "I need some of you to stay to take care of our elderly and the children. We prefer anyone who is able bodied to come with us to the Kingdom so they can brush up on target practice and other combat skills. Anyone who is skilled at patching people up that wants to learn more from Denise should stay here."

"Mister Grimes," Yolanda started. "How many nurses or doctors do you have?"

"Not as much as I would like." Rick said.

"I will stay in Alexandria to learn and help Denise and Terri." Yolanda said.

Rick nodded then looked to Kevin and Hansen. "What about you two?" He asked.

"I'll fight." Hansen said. "I'm old but I am a good shot."

"It's a matter of war where death is bound to happen. I'm not a fan of killing but I will do my part regardless of my opinion." Kevin said.

Rick looked to Sherry. "I've seen you with a gun. You could help us a lot in a pinch." He said.

"I'm in." Sherry said assuredly. "You know how many times I have wanted to kill a Savior but never got the chance?"

Rick nodded. "Alright, then it's settled. We'll travel to the Kingdom tomorrow and then we'll go on a supply run. Once Negan comes here to pick up said supplies, we'll make the first move. Everyone clear?"

Everyone nodded to consent with Rick's plan.

Sherry took a deep breath and smiled. She could feel the end of an era come to a close. She just hoped her friends and herself would live to see the end of it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Big chapter to make up for lack of posting. You're welcome.**

 **Also, the next chapter will be slightly delayed as well because I will be going to my hometown of Chicago where my sisters, mother, grandmother, aunts and sister-in-law's will be going to the Joffrey Ballet's Nutcracker. I am beyond excited to spend time with my family in my favorite place in the world.**

 **For all of my readers in the States, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!**

Chapter 12

Dwight, Carson, and Takuya arrived back to Sanctuary just before nightfall. Their moods were uplifted as they didn't have to worry about the safety about some of their comrades. Dwight knew they would be okay in Alexandria.

"We stay cool." Dwight instructed as the gate opened into Sanctuary. "Act as if nothing happened. A lot is riding on this."

Takuya and Carson nodded silently as they looked around in Sanctuary.

"Carson. So help me if you squeal anything, I will fuckin' kill you." Dwight said.

"You aren't the only one that is sacrificing shit." Carson retorted. "If Negan suspects me of anything, my brother is dead and Hilltop won't have a doctor. Like I don't have anything riding on this myself."

"Just keep on remembering that." Dwight threatened.

Carson looked to Takuya. "He's a little agitated, isn't he?" He asked.

"He's always agitated." Takuya responded.

"Maybe I should be the one that's agitated. You shot my fuckin' hand!" Carson said as he looked to Dwight.

They got out of the truck once inside the gates. Dwight quickly flagged down a couple of Saviors and told them to unload the truck. They hurriedly complied with their second-in-command as Dwight started walking further into the town. Takuya followed behind him.

"What's the game plan now?" He asked Dwight.

Dwight shrugged a response. "We do as we are told. The most important thing to do is not blow our cover." He said.

"Will this end soon?" Takuya asked.

Dwight kept on walking but said nothing. This was the most optimistic that he had felt in a long time. But even then, he still couldn't keep his hopes up. He had been disappointed many times from outcomes of defying Negan at every turn. This was the one that he hoped would pay off in the end. Otherwise, he knew he would be out of chances.

"Whether it ends soon or not, it has to work. We won't live to see another day if we fail." Dwight said as he reached into his pocket for a cigarette.

"You've been smoking a lot lately." Takuya mentioned.

Dwight snorted as he looked to Takuya. "Stressed would be a gross understatement with how I feel." He said as he lit the cigarette up with a lighter. He held it up and looked to Takuya. "This seems to help immensely with that."

"You don't seem stressed. You always seem angry. But I don't think I have seen you stressed." Takuya said. They made it to their home and stood next to the front gate.

"Takuya, I don't think there's ever been a time that you knew me where I wasn't stressed. I just hide it very well." He said. "On the road, it was always walkers. Making sure our group made it to see another day. At the mansion, it was worrying how much time we had left at that place. And here, it has always been about our group. Making sure that they never get dragged back here again."

Takuya smiled. "You need a vacation." He said.

"Hell yes I do! Same goes for you." Dwight said. "Once this is all over, you should take Megan out on a date."

Takuya blushed as he looked to the house next door. "What would we even do for a date?" He asked.

"Look at the stars… And I'm out of ideas after that. You're on your own." Dwight said.

"I don't even know if she likes me." Takuya said.

Dwight looked to the house next door and back at him. "Megan is just being careful around Negan. She doesn't want you to end up with a scar the size of Texas on your face. But I really think she likes you. Plus, Yolanda told me that Megan said she liked you." He said.

Takuya looked at him with a smile. "I think that's the first time you ever joked about your scar. You must be feeling better about everything." He said.

"It was never really the scar that bothered me." Dwight said. "It was the reason why I got it." The memory of the day he got his mark replayed in his head. Dwight remembered the anger he had when he was ironed. He made sure never to forget how he felt. He wanted to channel his frustration towards a solution. And that solution was taking down Negan at all cost.

…

Dwight figured he would check in with Negan to give him a status report of what happened at the Kingdom. He always hated speaking with Negan but he knew it would be worse now that he had to pretend that he didn't make a secret truce with Rick against him.

He walked over to Negan's house and stood at the front door. He could hear mumbling inside and knew Negan wasn't alone. Dwight opened the door quietly as Negan's voice rose to an angry tone. He just kept on rambling while whoever was inside with him listened. He didn't hear anyone else say a single word.

Dwight made his way into the house but left the front door opened. He didn't want to say anything. If he heard any information of value that he could relay to Rick, he wanted to hear it. To his knowledge, Negan told him everything about his plans but he didn't know if the situation with Sherry no longer being in Sanctuary would change that. Negan trusted Dwight because he did what was asked so Sherry would be kept safe. Dwight hoped that Negan would trust him for a little bit longer so he could do his part in the oncoming combat.

The muttering in Negan's office fell to whispers as Dwight walked to the door that was partially closed. He could hear more clearly on what was being said.

"I would fuck you all day if you took care of it." Dwight heard Negan say.

Dwight immediately felt awkward standing there as he assumed that he was speaking to one of his wives. He started to back away quietly but heard Negan say more.

"Lucille, what do I do?" Negan asked.

Dwight was even more perplexed. Not only was he confused overall why Negan would name an inanimate object like a baseball bat but now he was wondering why he was speaking to it.

"I should stick you up Rick's asshole for what's he done to me. That wouldn't be fair to you though. You deserve better than that motherfucker." Dwight heard Negan hit something. He surmised it was the desk. "He took Sherry. I should beat the fucking tar out of him. But I can't do that. He'll die a martyr and everyone will still love him. I need to fucking break him. Tell me what to do." Dwight heard more noises of destruction in the office as he looked around the house. It was in complete disarray. He knew Negan would be distraught that Sherry was out of Sanctuary but he was taking it worse than he thought he would.

"No one leaves. NO ONE LEAVES!" Negan yelled and Dwight heard books crash to the floor as well as glass breaking. "FUCK! Fucking fuckedy fuck!"

"No, no, no, no, no." Negan said quietly. "We got to fuckin' act. We need to stop jerking Rick's fucking dick. He can't tell us no. He can't tell you no. That's not how this fucking happens."

Dwight could hear the anger arise back in Negan's voice. While Negan threw more stuff in his office, he took the opportunity to walk out of the house as quietly and quickly as possible. Dwight didn't get much information of any value. However, he saw something that he suspected all along. Negan was deranged. Dwight knew that whatever happened with Sherry leaving Sanctuary only made it worse. He needed to be stopped more than ever.

…

"We should be back soon." Jason said to his wife and kids. "I love you with all of my heart. Spencer and Carol will take care of this place while we are away."

Terri nodded and sighed as she blinked tears from falling down her cheeks.

Sherry watched from the porch as the front door stood open. She carried an assault rifle with her as she looked around Alexandria while the McCoy family said their goodbyes. In the street was another farewell that Sherry was able to see.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Mitchell." Jenna said as she shook the man's hand.

Kevin smiled at her warmly and then looked to Yolanda. "Please, call me Kevin." He said. Yolanda winked to him and grinned back. They embraced as Jenna looked to both of them warily. Sherry didn't know what Jenna was thinking but she knew it must have been awkward to finally be reunited with a mother figure that had a new boyfriend. But she knew Jenna was the kind of person that would acclimate well and be able to see Yolanda was happy with Kevin. And she knew Kevin would be a wonderful father figure to her.

Jason walked out to the porch and front yard. "Let's go. I can't prolong goodbyes anymore. If I do, then I won't be able to leave." He said.

Sherry turned around and saw Terri tearfully watching her husband head towards the gate. Sherry waved a goodbye to Terri.

"We'll be okay, Terri." Sherry said. "I'll make sure Jason stays out of trouble."

Terri smiled in gratitude as she waved to Sherry in return. Sherry followed Jason and they both headed towards the gate where everyone that was going to the Kingdom to train for war was meeting.

"Nervous?" Sherry asked Kevin as he joined up with them.

Kevin nodded. "Very. It has been a long time since I carried a weapon. But in this world, it's a necessity to stay sharp." He said unconvincingly.

"You don't need to lie to me." She said. "If you feel uncomfortable doing this, just stay here."

Kevin gazed at his shoes and then looked up to her with conviction. "Rick needs as many people as possible to help fight in the cause. I can't afford to be comfortable. Not until this is all over." He said.

Sherry smiled at him and then watched as everyone started loading their things in cars.

Jason nudged her to get her attention. She looked up to him in question as he looked to Spencer who watched Rick like a hawk. "He's the one that's staying behind to protect my wife and kids. I don't trust him with keeping a class gerbil alive for a week. If he fucks up, I will kill him." He said.

"He seems to have a different opinion of what Rick should do." Sherry said as she continued to watch Spencer who looked angry.

"He hasn't stopped being incredibly vocal about it." Jason said. "It's fucking annoying."

"Carol seems to know what she is doing. That has to give you some peace of mind, right?" Sherry asked.

"If she wasn't staying behind, I would have protested." Jason disclosed. "Carol doesn't need training. She could take down half of Negan's men by herself. We just need to train to take care of the other fifty percent."

"Listen up!" Rick shouted for everyone to hear. The crowd was huge as they carried weapons of every kind and other belongings. "Hilltop, Alexandria, and the Kingdom will be joining together to train for whatever happens in the future. This will be the first time everyone will be in one place. From this point on, we will be allies with them to do what's necessary. Sacrifices will be made by everyone so we can defeat Sanctuary. But even if we bowed down to Negan, we would make more permanent losses. That's something I am unwilling to do. I'm thinking of long term plans and how much Negan is in the way of a world that is almost like the one we had before. We don't have to be scared anymore. Let's fight to get our lives back!"

Everyone clapped and cheered as Sherry looked on towards the crowd. She always felt uneasy in a group like this. Especially when they got loud. She eyed Spencer once more with skepticism. From the moment she met him, she knew he couldn't be trusted. She took a deep breath and drew courage as she walked over to him. He didn't cheer for Rick's speech. He only watched as his nostrils flared with displeasure.

"Hey." Sherry said as that got Spencer's attention. He smiled to her warmly as she tried to keep her cool and not panic. Something about him made her feel uncomfortable. "What the fuck is your problem?" She asked him.

His smile vanished as he looked at her questioningly. "There isn't a problem." He lied.

"I know you don't agree with the way Rick runs this community." Sherry said. "But if you knew the things that Negan did, you wouldn't second guess Rick's course of action. What he's doing is right."

"What? Going into battle with someone that only wants to trade with us?" Spencer asked.

"Only wants to trade?" She repeated as her eyes widened with bafflement. "Are you really going to be that naïve?" She closed her mouth and tried to consider the point of view that Spencer was coming from. "I know that it's scary to try and sacrifice something… Maybe everything… But it's more than just taking the easy way. It's the right thing to do. Maybe I'm not the right person to convince you to think otherwise but you should hear it from someone who has a close perspective on how things really are when you side with a man like Negan. Trust me when I say that everything that your mother built for this place will be destroyed. The community that everyone depends on will be gone. Do you really want that over fighting to prevent that future from ever happening?"

Spencer stayed silent as he looked at her.

"I thought so." She said and walked away. She saw Kevin and Jason loading their things in a car and walked towards them. Sherry didn't know what possessed her to care about what someone else thought. But she knew it would be in everyone's best interest if everyone was on the same page. She knew loose ends weren't something that was useful in their situation. She thought of Haruki and how he betrayed them for fear of Negan's wrath if he disobeyed him. _We could have ended up in Alexandria a long time ago,_ she thought.

"What did you say?" Jason asked as she started to slide her backpack off.

"What he needed to hear." She said and put the backpack in the trunk of the car.

Jason shook his head. "No, Rick wants you in the front with him."

"Why?" Sherry asked.

He shrugged. "Don't ask me." He said. "Probably to get more information about Sanctuary and the Saviors. Anything will help."

She scooped her backpack up and put it back on her shoulders. "I guess I will go up front." She saw the van that Rick's group was loading in and walked over to it.

Someone shoved their shoulder into Sherry's as they walked towards the van. Sherry looked to see who it was and saw a woman look behind her towards Sherry with a look of animosity in her eyes. She kept on walking and unloaded her things inside the van.

"Great." Sherry muttered. It wasn't a secret that Sherry was Negan's wife. She knew it would create some sort of resentment towards her with some Alexandrians. She could hardly blame them.

"Her name is Sasha." A man with a mullet said who seemed to come from out of nowhere. "She was with Abraham. Some Savior neutralized him in an unglorified manner. She's not taking it kindly that the particular Savior who finished him off is the one that is assisting us in our crusades against corruption. I'm not too fond of it either; if I'm being honest with myself."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Sherry said. She didn't know what else to say.

"That is absolutely not your miscue, ma'am." The man said.

"Sherry." She said.

"Eugene." He said and stuck his hand out towards her. She took it and shook it then headed towards the van. There she saw Deanna saying her goodbyes to the members of the group. Once she saw Sherry approaching, she walked to her and put an arm over her shoulder.

"You are doing this community a huge favor by staying with us. I will forever be in your debt." Deanna said.

"I haven't really done anything." Sherry said.

"If you weren't here, then Dwight wouldn't have chosen to be a double agent for us. Negan wouldn't have seen us as a threat. And you are fighting for us. You are doing more than you know. You are making freedom one step closer for everyone here." Deanna encouraged.

Sherry disliked that the reason she was helping was because Negan considered her stolen property. "I hope to help more in the future." She said.

"I hope so too." Deanna said with a smile. "I'll take care of those grapevines while you are gone."

Sherry smiled at her back and walked to the van once more. Rick greeted her with a nod and pointed towards the front seat. "I want you there." He said as he held up ropes. She knew they were the same ropes that he bound her hands with days ago. She looked confused as Rick saw he needed to explain the purpose. "If we run into Saviors on the road, they need to think that you are our prisoner and not a guest. They need to think we are holding you hostage and that we mean business."

She sighed as she rolled her eyes. She took her backpack off as it slumped to the ground and handed her rifle to Rick. He took it and rested it on the van. "There's always a pistol in the glove compartment if we run into trouble." He said.

"Okay." Sherry said.

Rick looked at her as he began tying her hands up. He saw Sherry watching Sasha from the corner of her eye as Sasha did the same. "We all have each other's backs. It just doesn't seem like it all the time." Rick assured her.

"My husband made the call to kill whoever stood in his way. Dwight's the one who answered. She has every reason to hate me." Sherry said.

"She doesn't know about you and Dwight." Rick said.

"Well, when she does find out, it definitely won't make things better." Sherry said as Rick finished tying binding her hands together. "I just hope everyone knows that I am on your side completely. I'm not trying anything to sabotage this."

"Once they realize you have as much depending on this as we do, they'll warm up to you." Rick said. "Sasha seems to be the only one that is holding a grudge. Maggie will be at the Kingdom too. She might have something to say."

"Who's Maggie?" Sherry asked.

Rick looked sad as he gazed towards the Alexandrians getting ready for their road trip. "I'll introduce you two when the time is right." He said as he opened the car door for her.

She sat down in the van's front seat and watched Rick as he walked to his side of the car and opened the door. Just then as everyone else was nearly finished piling into all the cars, the passenger door opened with Carl coming into the van. "Any room for me?" He asked.

Rick just gawked at him and then looked at everyone else who looked mildly humored but not surprised by such an action from the teenager.

"Would you listen to me if I said no?" Rick asked.

"No." Carl said. "Terri said she would watch Judith."

"Well, if that's already taken care of then I can't say no, can I?" Rick said as he turned to face the steering wheel and started the car.

Everyone started to talk amongst themselves as there was a certain level of excitement buzzing throughout the entire van. Sherry got the sense that they wanted to enjoy themselves before they pushed onto towards the inevitable.

"We're taking the long way to the Kingdom and staying off the highways. Dwight marked out where every outpost is and what they can see so we are making it a point to avoid each one." Rick said.

"Is that code for 'it's going to be a long drive?'" She asked.

Rick nodded. "I would get some rest if I were you." He suggested.

Sherry smiled as he didn't really know a thing about her. "I'm sitting in a car with people I hardly know. I think sleep is the last thing I will be able to do." She admitted.

"I'd still try." Rick said then turned to look at everyone behind him as the gates to outside of Alexandria started to open. "Same goes for all of you. We have a long day of travelling and training ahead of us. Rest up now."

The talking instantly became quieter and some started to situate themselves to get in a comfier position. Carl got out the comic book that Sherry gave him from her house in Sanctuary and started reading to himself.

Sherry smirked slightly at the sight as Carl looked up to see her looking at him. "Thanks for the comic." He said sincerely.

"No problem." She said. Rick looked at their exchange and seemed pleased that they got along. Sherry knew that Rick trusted his son's judgment. She knew that if Carl liked her, then she couldn't have been too bad of a person.

She slouched on her chair and rested her head on the car window next to her. Much to her surprise, her eyelids became very heavy. Whether it was making up for lost time on getting no sleep in Sanctuary or the last several days as being a whirlwind of emotions and events, she was just grateful for once she felt tired and was able to do something about it.

For once, she was able to sleep.

…

Dwight knew he was dreaming as he slipped into unconsciousness.

 _He was sitting in a darkly lit room that was small and felt claustrophobic to him. As he looked around the room, the only piece of furniture that was in there was the wooden chair he sat on. The walls were covered with old blood stains as well as the floor and ceiling. A couple of insects scattered the floor as he looked to them with no reaction. There wasn't even a door to the room._

 _As if someone just appeared through the walls, Dwight soon realized that he was no longer alone in the dream. He looked up to see Sherry standing there. He was puzzled by the way she looked and how she was dressed. She wore a pink floral dress with a white sweater. It was an outfit that he remembered his mom wearing some Sundays when she dragged him and his brother to church with him._

" _Hello." She said in a shy voice. She had a small grin on her face as she looked to him. She looked to be genuinely happy to him. A look that he hadn't seen from her in a long time._

" _I missed that smile." Dwight said._

 _She just looked at him and said nothing else. She didn't even make a move to touch him. He didn't either._

" _Sherry, I'm doing my best to make your life better. I hope you know that." He said._

 _Suddenly her face changed to disgust. Her entire appearance changed to just wearing a bra and underwear like Negan would have preferred. She turned around and Dwight could see each scar on her back as if she just received them only moments ago. He inhaled a breath as she turned back to face him with fury written on her face. She slapped him as he felt the left side of his face sting as his iron burn felt fresh once more. He grimaced as the pain from the iron came back to his remembrance._

 _She backed away as she started crying. He wanted to cry too because he felt as if he failed her once more. Nothing was going to correct the wrongdoings done against her. No matter how hard he tried._

 _Another person entered the room from out of nowhere as he saw his brother John holding Lucille._

" _John?" Dwight asked as he stared at his brother in disbelief._

 _John looked to Lucille and then down to Dwight. It was an expression that Dwight hardly saw that appeared on John's face before. He saw indignation._

" _John. I'm so sorry for the person that I've become. Please, if I had any other choice…" Dwight said._

" _There's always a choice, Dwight." John mocked. "You just chose to be the shittiest person on the planet. How do you feel about that?"_

" _I only did what you told me to do!" Dwight said with his voice rising in anger. "You said to protect what's mine! Are you fucking kidding me right now?"_

 _In that instant, the dream changed where Dwight and John were kneeling next to each other as Negan started swinging Lucille in the distance for practice. Sherry knelt next to him on his other side. The setup was similar to when Dean was killed by Lucille as they waited for one of them to meet their fate._

 _John looked to his brother in a panic as Negan's eyes rested on Sherry. "If I was the one who told you to protect what's yours, you better do it now." Negan started walking towards her as she reached for Dwight's hand. He grabbed it and held onto it tightly. "Time's running out." John said._

 _With that, Negan raised Lucille high over his head._

Dwight woke up from his dream with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He sat up and looked at his surroundings in near hysteria as he soon started to realize that his dream was too vivid and real for his taste. Earlier, he fell asleep on his living room couch but still looked around the room as if his brother stood close by. There was no one else. John and Sherry were nowhere to be seen.

Dwight breathed in short gasps as he tried to calm himself down. He decided that he was finished falling asleep as he would rather fight fatigue than the demons that were waiting in the back of his mind. Instead of sitting there thinking about his dream, he wanted to get his mind off of it as much as possible. He hurriedly stood up and walked to the front door as he burst outside.

He headed straight towards the bar and picked up cleaning up the mess he made. Hansen didn't even scratch the surface from the chaos that was inside the bar. He was tempted to just pick up another unopened bottle and drink his problems away but he was determined to stay as sober as he could be while he worked under Rick's leadership.

Dwight made a lot of progress with the bar as he first started sweeping all glass off the floor. The place was starting to look back to normal as the door ringed. Dwight saw Negan standing there looking more troubled than he had ever seen him.

"Rough night?" Dwight asked trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Do we have any more alcohol in this fucking shithole?" Negan gruffed. "If not, you are a fuckin' dead man."

Dwight walked to the back of the bar and produced the bottle of Stagg that he found the other night. He handed it to Negan who took it without even looking at the label.

"Well, at least you saved the fuckin' good stuff." Negan said as he opened the bottle. Dwight handed him an unharmed shot glass as Negan began pouring. Dwight began wiping at the bar counter as Negan started to chuckle. "You ever worked behind there before?"

"I bartended for a year." Dwight said. "What about you? What did you do before?"

Negan laughed as he took a drink. He choked as he kept on laughing. Dwight wondered if he was lit already before he even walked into the bar. "Do you really want to fuckin' know what I did before? I was a fucking car salesman. I would sweet talk cunts and bitches all day and give them the best deal they could fucking find in the area. Guaran-fuckin'-teed." He said.

Negan drank a couple more shots as Dwight walked around the bar tidying it up a bit more.

After ten minutes of silence, Negan spoke up. "Did you see Rick enter or exit the Kingdom?" He asked.

"Both." Dwight said. "We watched them all night."

"Any sign of Sherry?" Negan asked.

"No." Dwight said as he started picking up the billiard balls and taking them to the pool table.

Negan thought about the information that Dwight gave him. "So the Kingdom is now conspiring against me." He said.

"That's what it looks like." Dwight said and looked to Negan. "Have you figured out a course of action?" He asked.

Negan stared at the opposite wall in deep thought. "Did you know that we got the Gila back when we last visited Alexandria?" He asked.

Dwight shook his head. "No. Sorry, I left it there in the first place." He said.

"We need to show the fucking Kingdom that they made a big fuckin' mistake." Negan said. "Fuckin' catch them by surprise. They'll see that siding with Rick was the wrong decision. They'll ally with us once more. Like shooting ducks on a fucking pond."

"What are you suggesting?" Dwight asked.

"I say you lead twenty some men to the Kingdom as soon as possible. Send an example like you did to Alexandria. Hit Rick right between the fucking numbers. With Kingdom no longer playing Benedict Arnold's, that'll even the fucking score." Negan said. "You'll just have to fuckin' give them hell."

Dwight stopped cleaning and gave Negan his full attention. "I'll assemble some men as soon as possible." He said.

"There's no time like the fuckin' present." Negan said as he stood up.

"What are you going to do?" Dwight asked for the sake of getting more information.

"Haven't gotten a fucking answer yet." Negan said. "But I hope to think of one before tonight. Leave as soon as possible."

Dwight nodded. "Yes sir."

Negan started walking to the front door but stopped. "We don't know what those bastards are doing to Sherry. God knows what kind of fucking situation she's in." He said. "For her, we need to get her back here so she'll be safe again."

Dwight's nostrils flared as he felt insulted by Negan's attempt to make it seem that the past three years were like a walk in the park. He knew it was better to say nothing and just agree with him more so than he did before. Negan needed to know that Dwight was on his side despite Sherry being absent from Sanctuary.

"You'll get her back." Dwight said. "I'll make sure of it. When I was captured by them in Alexandria, I didn't know if I was going to survive. They don't deserve to live." Every word that came out of his mouth was a lie but he wanted Negan to think that he felt lower of the Alexandrians than he did the Saviors.

"Sherry and I were trying to have a baby." Negan revealed.

Every hair on Dwight's arms stood up straight as he almost reached for his knife and went for the kill. _Not now, Dwight,_ he thought. _The disillusioned man will die but just not yet._ He also thought it best to not tell him that Sherry told him that she was practically infertile. Although the worry didn't subside with that information he carried. He shuddered to think of any offspring belonging to Negan.

"Now do you see that everything that I have done has been for the benefit of everyone else?" Negan asked. "We're trying to build an empire to rule this world. People like Rick? He stands in the way of that fuckin' possibility. Do you want to stand with me or against me?"

Dwight walked over to him. Once they were a foot away, Dwight looked at him squarely in the eye and made sure to sell his next line as if he believed it. He knew this was the most important interaction that he would have to keep on receiving as much information as possible for Rick and the other communities. "I'll stand with you." Dwight said. "Those motherfuckers don't stand a chance."

…

They dropped several people off at a large building before they continued onto the Kingdom. Eugene was among them as he carried gear that Sherry didn't know the names of into the building.

"We aren't completely low on ammo yet. But this will give us an advantage when we don't have to worry about wasting any bullets." Rick said. Sherry wondered if it was mostly to assure himself instead of the others in the van.

"What're we goin' over at the Kingdom?" Daryl asked from in the back of the van. "Hand to hand combat?"

Rick nodded. "Everyone does pretty well with aiming a gun. But we all need to brush up on fighting with just our knives and fists if it comes down to it."

"I had a friend in Sanctuary that we trained with for knife fights." Sherry said.

"You sayin' some Savior is trainin' everyone to be professional knife fighters?" Daryl asked.

Sherry shrugged. "Negan could have someone doing that but these were private lessons. Us wives wanted to learn to defend ourselves against everyone in Sanctuary."

Daryl looked puzzled by what she just said. Sherry realized that not everyone knew of Negan's decision to have a non-monogamous marriage.

"I'm not his only wife. He has seven more." She said simply. Everyone looked to her baffled at her statement as some squirmed with discomfort. "Used to be eight more." Sherry said quietly.

"What happened to the eighth wife?" Sasha asked.

Sherry looked to her shocked by the sincerity in her voice. "She killed herself." She said in response. "That was the only way she saw out." She thought about Amanda and turned to face the front of the car as she tried to discreetly wipe at a tear falling down her face. It didn't go unnoticed by Rick who watched her with worry. She shook her head as if to tell him that she didn't want to talk about it.

He looked away and kept his eyes on the road. The van got quiet once more as everyone became lost in their own thoughts.

…

They finally made it to the Kingdom as they waited for an escort the rest of the way into the perimeter. Most of them stood puzzled as they didn't understand what protocol was in the community.

"Do they usually keep people waiting this long?" Sasha asked impatiently.

"Wouldn't know. We've only been here once before." Rick answered.

Sherry and several others kept their eyes out behind them as they watched to see if any walkers came into view. Jason stood next to her as he looked around him in mild amazement.

Sherry was now unbound as they didn't see a threat that would take place at the gates of the Kingdom. Rick assumed they would be out of danger from the Saviors by being so close to the community.

"I knew that a lot of people hated Negan but it's hard to believe our numbers could triple with these other places." He muttered as he looked to everyone that waited at the Kingdom's gates.

Then they heard from the other side of the gates the sound of hooves trotting their way. They all turned to see a man leading the way armed and ready just in case they were enemies to be taken care of. With him were twenty other men and women with more weapons than Sherry could count. Next to her, she saw Carl smile at the sight. They all knew they made a good choice in having the Kingdom on their side.

"Rick Grimes!" The man at the front said. "Paul's members from Hilltop have already arrived! We are ready to start training when you are. Everyone ready to be let in the King's country?"

"King?" A man with braids and a ponytail muttered in disbelief. The whole situation seemed unreal to all of them.

"You'll see, Heath." Rick said with a smile on his face.

"I'm glad you see my confusion as amusing." He said with slight irritation being evident in his voice. The man from the Kingdom opened the gates as all of them got back in their cars and drove the rest of the way towards a school building.

Sherry looked at all the large abandoned buildings that surrounded the school. Every so often, she would spot a sniper from a window as they watched in curiosity getting closer to the school.

Once they made it to the school, they all stopped their cars and got out once more.

Heath whistled his approval. "This place is pretty impressive." He said as they all walked to the steps of the school.

"Don't be too surprised by the next part." Rick said as he looked to all of the Alexandrians. His gaze landed on Carl and he smiled wide.

"What?" Carl asked.

"I just can't wait to see your face when you see what happens next." Rick said.

The doors opened and a man with dreadlocks came out holding a leash to a creature that Sherry thought she would never see ever again in her lifetime.

"Is that a fuckin' tiger?" The woman named Michonne asked.

"Greetings, Mister Grimes!" Ezekiel exclaimed. "Come inside and make yourselves comfortable."

Carl's mouth gaped open wide as he looked at the tiger. Rick snorted from his son's reaction and patted him on the back.

Carl leaned over to Sherry. "Were you expecting that?" He asked.

"Not in a million years." She answered.

Just then, they heard gunshots from behind them. They all turned to see the direction towards the gate and saw a crowd of several people waiting to be let inside.

Rick looked to all of his people and then to Ezekiel.

"You lead everyone in this battle, Rick." Ezekiel said. "My group will follow you."

"As will mine." They heard a voice say to the side of the school. It was a woman with medium size brunette hair with people, including Paul, following behind her. Sherry could only assume they were from Hilltop.

Rick looked to all of the people around and Sherry could see how overwhelmed he looked. But he handled it.

"All elderly and children from the Kingdom go inside." He instructed and pointed to Sherry and Carl as people started going inside the school. "I need you two to protect them inside the building."

"Why me?" Carl asked.

"Because I trust you to take care of them. Sherry, if they are Saviors, they can't see you fight with us." Rick explained.

She nodded her understanding as two men from the Hilltop group walked over to Rick. One was Asian and the other looked of Latino descent to Sherry.

The Asian spoke up. "My name is Kal. This is Eduardo. We volunteer to stay behind and protect the people here as well."

Rick nodded. "Everyone else can come to the gates with me." He said and looked to Carl one more time. They shared a glance that Sherry knew was meant to be a goodbye just in case things started to south.

Sherry looked to see a mother struggling to get her three small children into the building and walked over to her and picked the small toddler up. Eduardo picked the other child up as the woman carried the other remaining one as they all made their way into the building.

"Take them all upstairs!" Sherry said once they were inside. She gave Kal the toddler in her hands. "Get into a room where we can see the front of the school and have a good vantage point." She instructed. She didn't expect for commands to come out of her mouth but they did. She was briefly reminded of the leader she was to her group before Sanctuary.

"Where are you going?" Kal asked her.

"There were more people in the front of the school that needed some help getting inside!" She said as she raced outside. She saw a small elderly woman climb up stairs while Ezekiel helped her however, he watched everyone else walk to the gates and looked as if he needed to be with them. Sherry walked over to them and stood at the other woman's side.

"I got her." Sherry assured.

Ezekiel exchanged a look of gratitude with Sherry, took his tiger, and started walking towards the gate while his men followed.

"It starts now!" She could hear Rick yell at the front.

"My son, Richard. Will he be okay?" The older woman asked.

Sherry nodded. "I'm sure everyone will be fine." She said in a comforting voice. "We're just all going inside for right now to stick together." Carl came outside and looked to see if anyone else needed help.

Sherry looked with him and spotted an older man with a baby by the playground. She pointed in that direction for Carl to see. "Over there!" He said.

He nodded and headed over to assist them.

Sherry helped the woman all the way to the room where everyone was gathering and huddling around each other. She and Carl did one more check around the entire school to see if anyone else fell behind but then saw that they did their part. As they walked up the stairs one final time to join everyone else in the room, they heard many gunshots be fired at the gate. Sherry had never been in a situation where they fought against other people. She knew it was necessary like Rick said earlier in Alexandria. Negan stood in their way to freedom. It was a necessity that she longed for and wished everyone would eventually receive. Sherry knew which side she wanted to be on. And she was ready to fight.

…

Dwight watched as Rick's men came into view. He saw the look of surprise and anger on Rick's face when they locked eyes on each other. Dwight tried to put it in the back of his mind. He needed to continue the charade a little bit longer before shit started to hit the fan.

He stood on top of the Gila while his twenty five men stood looking incredibly intimidated by the vast amount of people on the other side of the gates that looked ready for blood.

Dwight looked at every single of the Saviors. He planned especially to have every man that was the most boisterous during his branding as an adulterer be present for their massacre. He knew the communities were coming together to train so he took the opportunity for the men he despised the most to be executed. Once it was all said and done, he wouldn't lose an ounce of sleep over it. He nearly smiled at his revenge plot finally coming to view.

Takuya stood next to him on the Gila and had his rifle in hand. Dwight carried his crossbow and aimed it at Rick. He saw Daryl hold his crossbow up at his direction infuriated that he double crossed them.

"Surrender!" Dwight yelled to Rick as they got to the gate.

"You son of a bitch, Dwight!" Rick shouted back. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What needs to be done." Dwight muttered. With that, he took his crossbow and aimed it at the men standing next to the military vehicle. His sights were quickly drawn on a bald guy that had nearly every inch of himself tattooed. Dwight never particularly cared for him as he always made it a point to ridicule Takuya for his ethnicity. Also, Dwight couldn't help but notice the large swastika that was tattooed on his scalp. Dwight aimed directly in the middle of the design and shot him down with zero hesitation.

As the man fell down, all the Saviors on his side stood in shock as they realized what Dwight set them up for.

"Oh, fuck!" Someone yelled as Rick's group started to aim their weapons at them and firing. Dwight and Takuya took cover and laid down flat on the Gila. Takuya laid on his stomach and aimed his rifle at the people below and started firing on the Saviors.

Dwight laid on his back as he set another bolt up to be shot towards them. His body was pumping with excitement as he heard their screams become louder as they ducked for cover. He waited a long time to be avenged of all the time he spent in Sanctuary. To see it finally unfold was a huge relief to him.

For four more times, Dwight would load his weapon and fire on whatever Savior he could see. Whenever he hit a Savior dead, his grin would grow wider. While he was loading a fifth one, he heard the last Savior scream to his death.

There was a small cheer from the other side of the gate as Dwight looked up to the sky in relief. He knew killing people was the worst thing he had ever done but couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of happiness that the right people were finally dying. He was doing something useful with his talent.

It was going to be over soon.

…

"What is going on out there?" Sherry asked. Kevin walked up to her with hands shaking and a gun strapped to his back. Sweat fell down his forehead as he took his glasses off to clean them with his shirt. Sherry stood at the window inside the school building as survivors from the Kingdom huddled together in prayer and worry when they heard gunshots at the entrance.

"Saviors. They came armed and ready to make an example. Negan isn't happy that the Kingdom allied with Alexandria and Hilltop." Kevin said as he panted.

Sherry put a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "Are you okay, Kevin?" She asked.

He laughed quietly and uncomfortably. "I'm not a soldier. I'm doing my best to help everyone around me but I am most definitely not a soldier." He said.

Sherry smiled to comfort him. "I'm not much of one either. But some things need to be done so the bad guys don't win." She said.

"Some of the men down there. I spoke to. They confided to me how they felt about their humanity. And I shot at them. Not all of those Saviors deserved it." Kevin said.

Sherry looked to him and considered what he said. She knew Negan manipulated everyone to follow him. It was hard to tell which ones actually liked him and which ones were forced to. "Would you like me to tell Rick that you feel uncomfortable fighting them? We can switch. You take care of the elderly and children and I can be on the front lines." She suggested.

He said nothing but considered her solution.

"Listen, I know where you are coming from. But Rick and the group already have too many loose ends trusting people that they didn't think they could. We can't have too many more." She said. "If it makes you feel better, I remember every Savior that was at an ironing ceremony. I can tell you which ones cheered Negan on and screamed for bloodshed. They may have had a moment of conscience when they spoke to you but it didn't last. I can go down there and look at the faces of each Savior and tell you whether or not they really were repentant of the things they had done."

"That's not necessary." Kevin said solemnly. "I can ask Rick to have us switch. I'm sorry that I'm a coward, Sherry."

"You aren't a coward. You are human. You're supposed to feel what you're feeling now." Sherry said.

"Long time, no see, brother!" She heard Jason say in the hallway very loudly with a joyful tone. Her heart did a backflip as she heard the other man's voice. It was quiet and muffled so she couldn't discern who it was exactly but she recognized it.

"Are we clear of any danger?" She asked Kevin.

He nodded. "I can take care of everyone in here. You have a long awaited reunion to get to." He said with a smile.

"So he's here?" Sherry asked breathlessly.

Kevin nodded and patted her on the back.

She strapped her rifle on her back and started walking to the door. She took a deep breath and stepped out to the hallway. She saw Takuya and Jason talking to each other with smiles on their faces. Sherry frowned at the revelation that it wasn't him but only Takuya.

"Nice to see you too." Takuya said sarcastically.

Sherry smiled in spite of herself and walked over to him. "Please don't say that. I'm happy to see you! I promise." She said.

"Just not who you expected?" Jason said with a wink.

She shook her head.

"Well," Jason started. "You better start searching this place."

…

"Burn them or bury them?" Mati asked Dwight. They stood at the entrance of the Kingdom where the battle took place. Dwight would admittedly say it was less of a battle and more of a massacre. But he felt no regret. He made sure that the men he recruited for the pogrom were some of Negan's most loyal followers. He knew that Negan didn't have to hang anything over their heads. They followed him despite all of the things they were asked to do.

Dwight looked at the fallen Saviors with distaste. "Burn 'em." He grunted as he walked away.

His hands shook as the adrenaline started to subside. Even though the men were bad people, killing was never his favorite thing to do. He hoped his killing days would come to a close but knew they were at war and that killing would be inevitable until it was over.

"What does that make the count now?" He saw Rick walking up to him with lighter fluid in hand.

Dwight looked at the lighter fluid than at Rick. "Not wasting any time, I see." He said with a small amount of amusement in his voice.

Rick shook his head. "How many does that make?" He asked again.

"Three hundred and twelve." Dwight said flatly. He tried to carry no emotion when he said it.

Rick looked to the Saviors that were being stacked on top of each other for a bonfire. "Were any of them good people?" He asked.

Dwight looked them once more as well. "No." He said.

"Good." Rick said. "This will change everything. Once you go back to Sanctuary without a crew, Negan will know we mean business."

Dwight nodded in agreement. "That will start a whole bunch of shit that we may or may not be ready for." He said. "With all of the communities combined, you have the same amount of men that Negan has. You guys are separated and spread out. That could raise some issues."

Rick contemplated what Dwight said. "We'll figure out a plan as soon as we get back to Alexandria."

Daryl walked up to them from the bonfire of Saviors with many bolts in hand covered in blood. He took five of the bolts and handed them to Dwight. Dwight took them and nodded towards him in gratitude. Daryl acknowledged the recognition and gave his own smirk to show their shared truce against Negan.

"You hear from the school?" Daryl asked Rick.

Rick nodded. "Yeah. Everyone's safe. Sherry took all of them into a room and stood guard."

Dwight was looking at the ground previously but his head shot up at the sound of Sherry's name. "She's here?" He asked. "Where is she?"

"At the school…" Rick started to say but Dwight already started running towards the direction of the school leaving his crossbow and bolts behind.

…

"Dwight?" She yelled as she looked in every room of the school. She only lingered around the obvious choices of rooms but eventually ended up searching every room once he didn't show up. Everyone around her looked like she was a lunatic but she didn't care. She was relieved beyond any measure.

Then she saw men and women that went to the front gate start making their way inside the building to let their loved ones know that they were okay. Sherry then realized that he must have still not made it into the school.

Sherry ran outside of the school and towards the entrance of the Kingdom. She was running as fast as she could. There wasn't a thought process with it. She was only determined to reach him. It was her first chance that she had in almost two years.

"Sherry!" She heard Dwight yell further away and saw him running towards her.

She kept on running as she started to cry. When they got closer, he slowed his speed as she still raced towards him. Sherry pummeled into him with arms wrapped around his neck. He picked her off the ground in the tightest hug that he had ever given anyone as they cried together.

Sherry rested her head on his shoulder as he placed his head on top of her temple. They didn't let go of each other for several minutes as they continued to cry; both being caught up in the emotion that they were finally together and everything was temporarily alright.

…

Terri held Judith as her children and Jenna played outside. Yolanda was in the kitchen making small snacks for everyone.

"Never thought I would see someone this age again." Yolanda said as she eyed Judith. "This is Rick's little girl?"

Terri nodded. "She's a sweetie."

They heard the front door opened and turned to see the children being ushered inside by Carol with worry evident on their faces.

Terri made eye contact with Carol. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"The front gate." Carol said. Terri handed Judith to Yolanda and ran outside to see what the problem was. She covered her mouth with shock as the last man that she wished to see stood at the gates with a smile on his face.

"Little pig, little pig. Let me in!" Negan taunted in a loud voice.


	13. Chapter 13

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – If anyone would like to read a prequel of Many Hearts to Tread, I'm working on one currently called Manipulated Living. First chapter is up. Hope you like it!**

 **Also, I get to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens…TOMORROW!**

Chapter 13

Sherry was given a room all to herself in the Kingdom. It was small like it used to be custodian closet but she preferred it all the same. Dwight and Sherry spent the entire day with each other just soaking up the freedom they were able to have together without the scrutiny of other people. They didn't say much to each other. They didn't need to. They were able to communicate by how they interacted with each other throughout the day

Everyone ate dinner together in the cafeteria of the school while Dwight would occasionally be caught staring at her for long periods of time. Sherry would look back at him and smile as it still felt surreal that he was even there. She almost treated him like his was apparition. She half expected to wake up from a dream. Luckily, she never did.

She laid on a cot in the closet as she tried to fall asleep. She wasn't able to as thoughts continued to run through her head. Today was probably the best day she ever had. She just continued to think of everything that happened and replayed it over and over again. Sanctuary finally felt distant enough where she could taste euphoria once more.

After hours of tossing and turning, she realized that trying to sleep was futile. She got out of bed and started lacing her combat boots that sat to the side. She was going to walk through the school until she felt tired enough to go back to sleep but didn't know if she was ever going to start feeling exhausted.

When she opened the door, she soon became startled by a figure that sat next to the door propped up against the lockers on the wall. When the door opened, he quickly stood up alert and looked to Sherry with concern in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Dwight asked.

Sherry looked from one side of the hallway to the other and saw they were completely alone. "Did you not get a room to sleep in?" She asked him.

Dwight thought about what to say next and smirked. "I decided to sleep out here instead. I just wanted to make sure that you were safe all by yourself." He confessed.

She walked out into the hallway and sat against the lockers. Dwight joined her as he sat next to her.

"Feels a little weird to be back in a high school, doesn't it?" She asked him.

He nodded. "Brings me back to a time that I had no other worries than video games." He said.

"Or Dungeons and Dragons on prom night?" Sherry teased.

"I regret ever telling you that." Dwight said. "Can't believe you remember me saying that."

"I remember everything you have told me about you." Sherry said and looked at him with a smile.

He looked back at her with admiration in his eyes. She shyly looked down at her lap and twiddled her thumbs.

"Can't sleep?" He finally asked her.

She shook her head. "With all the excitement going on, it was hard for me to not absorb every detail and think about it five more times for the last several hours." She said.

"That sounds exhausting." He said.

"Trust me. It was the opposite." Sherry said. "I don't mind though. They were good memories to focus on for once."

"I know how you feel." Dwight said.

They sat in silence unsure of what else to say. Dwight could physically feel the giant elephant in the room as the silence continued to grow. They both had a lot of things on their minds but didn't know how to address it.

"Alright, I can't take it." Dwight said.

"Dwight…" Sherry started.

"No, please let me say this." Dwight practically begged. "I fucked up a lot things in my life but I am most disappointed with myself when it has come to what has happened to you. I should have done something about Negan a very long time ago and I hate myself every day for letting you down."

"Dwight." She said as she put her hand on the side of his face on top of his scar. He stopped talking as he felt slightly surprised that someone other than himself was touching it. No one ever before touched his scar. "I wasn't the only one that was hurt." She whispered. "You should know that never have I once blamed you for what happened."

"Why haven't you?" Dwight asked in disbelief.

"What could you have done about it, Dwight?" She asked him back. "We were stuck. We couldn't do anything. If anything, I blame myself the most."

Dwight looked more perplexed by her revelation. "How could you possibly?" He asked.

Sherry stared at him but didn't say a word. She felt too ashamed for things that she did being Negan's wife. She wasn't yet ready to say it out loud and she knew Dwight wasn't ready to hear it.

"Sher, it's been awhile since we were able to talk to each other." Dwight said. "And a lot has happened since then." He looked at the opposite wall and sighed. "There will be a day when we need to talk about all of it and just get it out of the way."

Sherry breathed in and out slowly as she nodded her head in agreement. "You never answered my question." She said.

He glanced at her confused as to what she was talking about.

She smiled and looked at her hands on her lap. "I asked you years ago when you started smoking and you never answered my question."

Dwight laughed quietly as he watched her smile grow wider. "It was our first winter in Sanctuary and Negan asked us to scout on one of the coldest nights that I could remember in my entire life. It was miserable. You know Connor?"

She nodded as he continued. "He handed them out and told me that it would make me warmer. So I did it and one smoke lead to another… I may have a small addiction to it." He admitted in a somewhat ashamed tone.

Sherry looked down to his hand and grabbed it softly. She put her fingers in between his as she felt every callous and scratch. She always loved holding hands with him and being close to him. Dwight was always warm. He just watched her concentrate on his hand as she caressed the top of it with her thumb.

"I always thought guys were handsome when they smoked." Sherry joked.

"Yeah?" Dwight said. "Well, thanks, Miss. That means an awful lot coming from you." He stated in a joking tone.

She smiled at him and looked him in the eyes. "I don't know if you will ever be ready for me to tell you the things that I have done, Dwight." Sherry said.

"And vice versa with me." Dwight said. "Talking doesn't have to happen anytime soon."

"It's not really much of a secret though." She said. "It's just hard to talk about."

"I understand." He responded. "Sherry, I have killed a lot of people. _A lot of people."_ He said as he emphasized the last part. "I regret a lot of things."

Sherry held his hand up higher and placed it on her lap. He felt privileged that she was coming to him for comfort but he didn't dare try and make a move that would make her uncomfortable. He knew she could be skittish in general after being married to Negan.

"The last couple of years must have been tough on you." Sherry said with sorrow evident in her voice.

"Sher, I have to ask you something. Please don't take it the wrong way." He said as he drew a deep breath. "Did you want to leave Sanctuary when Rick took you?"

She didn't answer at first and tried to think of her actual response. "I was a little torn." She finally said.

"Why?" Dwight asked hoping he would like the answer.

She looked at him as she wondered what he was trying to get at. "Because of you. If I'm not in Sanctuary, Negan could kill you and everyone else in our group." Sherry said.

Dwight closed his eyes and drew a sigh of relief. "So you didn't want to stay because of Negan?" He asked.

"Never." Sherry said. "Why are you asking me this?"

Dwight felt embarrassed to answer her question but he brought it up in the first place. "Negan said that you two were trying to have a kid… I just kind of assumed that maybe you started liking him… But a lot still doesn't make sense." He said as he put a palm to his forehead with confusion. He didn't know what to think.

"Dwight, I didn't want to tell you this and didn't have an opportunity until now but Negan has been forcing me to… since that first night after…" She said as he knew the night she was talking about. The night that Dwight and Sherry both got punished for being caught together. His anger started bubbling to the surface as she continued. "He threatened me that if we didn't…" She couldn't even say it.

Dwight let go of her hand and stood up shaking with indignation. "He has raped you this whole entire time?!" He asked.

Sherry stood up and walked over to him slowly.

Dwight looked to her with pain in his eyes. "Sherry, he always talked about you two together." He said as he looked into her own eyes that matched that pain that he felt.

"Did you think I had feelings for him?" She asked quietly.

He closed his eyes and nodded. "Everything was just so fucked up. I didn't know what to think." He said and looked to her again.

She took a deep breath and held his arm. "Dwight, I don't know what to think of it either." Sherry said. "He would force me almost every night. And I had to pretend to like it. I couldn't fight him. Some nights, I tried to forget where I was and just try to enjoy myself. I'll admit it this once. I started liking him only to shut out in my mind what was really happening." She said as she silently cried as she felt guilty for feeling the way she did towards Negan. "I never fell in love with him though. I hated him but he did make me have feelings for him. Which makes me hate him all the more."

Dwight almost couldn't bear the emotional and mental toll that Negan put on her for shoulders. He knew that even though his instinct told him to throw the closest table over sideways was, he needed to just be present and calm for Sherry. She needed his support at that moment more than ever.

"You can't feel guilty for trying to cope with your life. Even if he made you feel that way towards him, you were just trying to survive. It's still none of your fault." Dwight said and sat back down as he motioned for Sherry to sit next to him. She did so but first looked to both sides of the hallway before she joined him as if looking for Negan to spring up any second and catch them together once more.

Suddenly a thought dawned on Dwight. "Is that why you feel guilty for everything?" He asked. "Because you weren't able to fight back?"

Sherry sat with her legs crisscrossed as she put her elbows to her knees and stared at the floor deep in thought. "Fighting wouldn't have done much of a difference. I just felt like I lost myself when I was with him. I hated everything about him and when I was with him, I felt conflicted. I felt like I betrayed myself and everyone around me. I betrayed you the most when I was with him." She said everything slowly as she was trying to think of the right words to say.

"Sher, you never betrayed me." Dwight said.

"If I liked being with him in that way at all, I felt like I was slapping you in the face." She said as she wiped new tears from her eyes.

"Sherry, did you love him?" Dwight asked as he looked at her with concern.

She shook her head vehemently. "No!"

"Then you didn't betray me." Dwight said.

"Why?" Sherry asked and took her gaze from the floor to him.

"Because I love you." Dwight said.

Sherry didn't understand why he still had feelings for her. But she wondered if he would be just as incredulous at her statement. "I love you too." She mumbled with a small smile.

He smiled at her and held her hand. "One day I promise to make things better for you." He said as she remembered him tell her that many times before.

"You already have." Sherry said.

"It will always be a work in progress." He said and kissed her hand. "There are a lot of things that haven't been done that need to be fixed."

"Like?" Sherry asked.

"Like how I'm supposed to be in Sanctuary right now but figured they wouldn't miss me just yet." Dwight said and winked at her. "I wanted to talk to you before I left."

"I'm glad you did." Sherry said. "Why don't you and Takuya just stay here with us? You don't have to go back to Sanctuary anymore."

"Sherry, I have killed three Alexandrians, attacked their community, and held their…pastor at gun point. They aren't just going to let me in. I need to prove myself before I just show up as a new citizen." He said. "It's tempting but I think they like you more than they like me. Plus, giving Rick a heads up whenever he needs it will be useful. Sanctuary still has more manpower than all three communities combined. They need all the help they can get."

Sherry nodded in understanding but decided to change the subject to a lighter tone. "I don't think pastor is his formal name." Sherry said. "His name is Father Gabriel."

"Same thing, isn't it?" Dwight asked slightly embarrassed by his lack of knowledge when it came to religion. "The last time I stepped foot in a church was at my parent's funeral. Well, I was in Alexandria's church for a little bit. I don't think that counts though."

"That sounds like a fun story." She said trying to hint that she wanted to hear more.

Dwight pointed to his right thigh. Sherry saw him limping when he walked but didn't know how it happened. "That's where I got this gun shot. I'll tell you all about it later." He sighed as he knew he had to leave for Sanctuary.

Sherry could tell that's what he was thinking about and scooted closer. "Be safe out there. And if you get the chance to tell my sisters that I'm okay, can you do that?" She asked.

He nodded. "That's an odd term to call them, don't you think?" He asked.

"It's just a term of endearment that has stuck." Sherry said.

"Fair enough." Dwight said with a smile and looked to her. "I love you. That's why I am going back to Sanctuary. I need to see this all be finished to the very end."

He went to stand up as he winced slightly from his leg. Dwight looked to her with confidence as he stood up tall. "I need to make sure this all ends so I can see Negan dead. I promise you that he will pay everything that he has done to you." He said.

Sherry got to her feet and hugged him. "Please don't let this be the last time I see you." She said.

Hugs still felt like a foreign thing to Dwight. It still felt like forbidden fruit for a hug to come from Sherry but after several seconds he embraced her in return. With his head resting on hers, he took one of her hands and held it close to his chest. "It won't." He said.

With that, he started walking away as Sherry watched him disappear into another school hallway. She breathed in as she tried not to cry again. However, inside she was filled with hope. She had a good feeling things were going to eventually turn out the way they should. Sherry hoped her gut feeling was right as she went back into her small little room to try and sleep once more.

…

"When you shoot, you have to mean it." Rick said as they all lined up for some target practice behind the school building. All targets lined up against a brick building that sat next to the high school's football field. Their targets were something that Sherry was familiar with. They were walkers chained to heavier objects next to the building.

Sherry picked up an assault rifle and prepared it for shooting until Rick stopped her. "Dwight said he had a gun that was of particular interest to you." He said as he started walking away. "I'll be right back."

Sherry looked at the gun in her hands and to the people around her. She saw out of the corner of her eye, the woman named Sasha staring at her. She had yet to have a gun in her hands to prepare for target practice.

Sherry walked over to her and carefully handed her the rifle. "I don't need it." She said.

Sasha took the rifle and made sure it was loaded. She looked at Sherry once more with brows furrowed as if questioning her motives.

Sherry didn't have anything to prove to Sasha and didn't care to have a staring contest. She just walked away and back to where the line was to start shooting walkers. Eugene and Daryl were on both sides of her. She could see that Daryl knew what he was doing as he handled his weapon but then she looked to Eugene who looked unsure of how to load his pistol.

She watched him for a while with amusement as he just turned it over and over again in his hands. Finally, after some time passed, she grabbed the gun from him and pointed at the bottom of the gun. "This isn't rocket science. No one has taught you this yet?" She asked.

Eugene looked to her in shame at himself. "I haven't needed a justification to load a gun before this. I have always had back up." He said.

"Interesting." Sherry said wondering how he ever made it this far in their new world. "You see this?" She said as she pointed at the handle of the gun. "Inside is a magazine that holds your ammunition. All you have to do is pull." She did so to show and the magazine fell out. She examined it and saw no bullets in the magazine. She cocked the gun and no other shells came out of the gun. "Completely out. Did you bring any bullets with you?" She asked.

He shook his head. Sherry sighed as she tried to think of who to ask to get more for him.

"Hey." Daryl mumbled next to her. She looked at him as he had a case 9 millimeters for the pistol. Sherry grabbed it from him and nodded a thanks to which he returned the gesture as he focused on his gun once more and started shooting at his target. The sound made Eugene jump slightly as he watched Sherry put the bullets in the magazine.

"This particular magazine can only hold ten rounds." Sherry said. "In a battle, it would be better to use an assault rifle."

"I am well aware of that." Eugene said. "I may not have real experience in combat but I have played my fair share of first person shooter video games."

"If you have played video games with guns, then how do you still not know how to load a gun?" Sherry responded back.

Eugene looked at her and to the gun. "I didn't want to make a fatal error." He said.

Sherry gawked at him but got back to business to show him the rest. She stuck the magazine in the handle and handed it back to Eugene. "You know how to cock the gun, right?" She asked.

He nodded and did so correctly. She smiled her approval as he tried to shoot his target. He fired the gun and Sherry knew that having combat practice was useful for someone like Eugene.

Rick came back as she looked at the gun that he had in his hands. "Dwight said this used to belong to you. One of the Saviors had it yesterday when they attacked us." He said.

Sherry took the gun from him and held it in her hands. It was her shotgun that she picked up a week after everything fell apart. She smiled as she checked to see if it was loaded. Rick handed her ammo as she placed it on the ground in front of her. With the gun in hand, she loaded five rounds in it quickly and cocked it while taking aim at her target. It was like being reunited with an old friend.

She smirked at she fired her weapon while her target instantly fell to the ground. There were still a few others that had yet to shoot their moving targets so she just waited until everyone was finished.

"Child's play." She muttered to herself.

"Yer tellin' me." Daryl said next to her.

…

Hand to hand combat appeared to be more of a challenge for Sherry. The close and harsh contact with everyone she practiced with was a little too close for comfort. While they all practiced vantage points and vital areas that were susceptible to more pain, Kevin walked up to her with concern in his voice. "If you feel uncomfortable with this…" He said.

Sherry sighed but shook her head. "It doesn't matter if I am uncomfortable or not. It's useful." She said.

She was practicing with Jason whom she trusted with her life but it triggered a lot of emotion inside of her. He looked at her with concern as well. "We can stop if you want to Sherry." Jason said.

She shook her head again. "No, let's keep going." Sherry said.

Jason started to get frustrated and shook his head. "You know what, Sherry? Some fears you need to face head on. Not the therapy shit. Talking about it only gets you so far."

Kevin stared at Jason with warning. "Sir, what you are saying is true but…" He said.

"No. Sherry, I think of you as a little sister. What if it comes down to you protecting yourself with no gun at your disposal?" He asked as Sherry looked at him with slight annoyance. "You will be fucking useless and someone will have put their life at risk trying to save you." He said as he lightly pushed her to taunt her and make her even angrier.

"Who would it be that saves your ass and gets themselves killed in the process?" He asked. "Terri? Kevin?" He asked every name with another shove. Others that were practicing combat were slowing as they started noticing the confrontation. "Does Dwight have to die for you too?"

Sherry pushed him back with both arms to his chest. "Leave me the fuck alone. I'm done with this shit." She said.

Jason smiled. "Did your husband teach you to have a potty mouth like that, missy?" He asked.

Sherry's nostrils flared as more people started looking their direction. Uncomfortable with the attention and miffed that Jason was trying to push her buttons she glared at him. "Please stop." She said and tried to walk away.

Jason sighed and put on a serious face. "Okay, you leave me no choice." He said as he started backing away. "Sorry in advance." Then he ran at her with full force.

"Jason!" Sherry warned as she started to panic. But in the split seconds that she had before he reached her made her realize that she no longer had time to think or be emotional about anything. He was right. If she didn't try her best to fight, then someone would risk their life trying to save her. Any fight between her and a Savior would be futile if she gave up because she was too terrified to do anything.

Jason barreled into her as they fell into the overgrown grass. Sherry took a deep breath and tried to get him off of her but he wrapped his arms and legs around her. "Try and get out of this." Jason said. "I'm not going easy on you either. A Savior wouldn't do the same."

She did her favorite move of head butting him squarely in the nose. He removed his hands as held them to his nose in surprise. "Shit, Sherry! I think you broke my nose!" He said.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Sherry said with a little bit of humor as he was not expecting that she wouldn't go easy on him. She started to roll away in victory. But he grabbed her quickly by the waist as many flashbacks returned to her mind of Negan touching her and holding her when she wanted nothing more than to be away from him. She felt as if she were back in Sanctuary. Sherry could almost feel Negan kissing every part of her body.

Out of fear from the memories that flooded her brain, she reached for her small knife strapped to her waist and held it at Jason's throat. She breathed heavily as he realized that she somewhat cheated in their brawl. He started to smile and got off of her and held his hand out for her to take. "That's how you win. Sometimes you have to play dirty to kill who you need to." He said. She took his hand and stood up. "But seriously, you broke my nose."

"Good." She said as she was out of breath. "You deserved it."

"I'm sorry what happened to you while you were in Sanctuary." Jason said as he looked to everyone around them that started going about their business once more. "But you need to put it aside. The time for being the victim is over. If you want to be free of Negan, you need to confront him before anyone else gets hurt. I know you can take him on."

Sherry took a shaky breath as she felt her confidence waver. "He's too strong. I can't do anything against him." She said. Kevin watched their interaction from afar with worry for his young patient turned dear friend. He didn't want her to unravel the progress she had made.

"That's him trying to get in your head, again. You can out best him. I know you can." Jason said and patted her shoulder as he walked away to have someone look at his nose.

"Jason!" She called after him. He turned around and looked to her. "Thanks." She said quietly.

"Don't mention it. Dwight would kill me if anything happened to you." He said with a smile.

She watched him walk away as she sheathed her knife back to the strap on her middle. Kevin stood next to her. "I feel like I have been babying you." He said. "I apologize for that."

"You have helped more than you know." Sherry said. "Things just move a lot faster now."

Kevin smiled and put his hands together. "I think everyone is going to have lunch soon and then we'll head back home." He said as his smile grew wider. "I like calling Alexandria home."

Sherry looked to him with a smile of her own. "Me too."

…

They ate lunch in the school's cafeteria. Sherry wanted to sit alone to have some time to absorb a couple of things before they started driving in a crowded car back to Alexandria. She ate a tomato and had a water bottle with her as she thought to herself the events of the last couple of days.

It was all so overwhelming. Sanctuary no longer had a strong hold on her. She was able to put it behind her. Especially since most of her original group was no longer there. She spoke to Dwight for the first time in nearly two years. A lot of things were said that needed to be said. She hoped that she had more discussions like that.

Sherry felt like she had more people that she could depend on than she did before. It was comforting but unnerving at the same time. She was a prisoner in Sanctuary for so long that she became accustomed to small spaces and less people to speak to. Sherry thought it a weird feeling to have so much freedom. She knew that was what Negan wanted her to feel. He wanted her to think that she belonged in Sanctuary and wouldn't be able to survive without him. She tried to shut him out as she hoped to not run into him any time soon. She didn't feel ready to confront him in the near future.

Sherry could feel eyes on her as she looked up to see a woman who she knew to be called Maggie and Sasha staring at her from another table. When they made eye contact, they looked back down and spoke to each other. She knew being a former Savior and wife of Negan would make her have some enemies even if it hardly made sense for them to hate her.

A lot of people ate next to their friends as their tables filled with laughter. Sherry didn't mind people watching. Many people crowded around Rick's table as they talked battle tactics and other useful information. Ezekiel also had a small crowd around him but they all sat far away from his tiger that sat on his other side. That side was noticeably absent of people.

She also saw Daryl sitting a couple of tables away from her eating alone and cleaning his crossbow while lost in his own thoughts. Sherry could tell that he had a couple of rough days in his life just by looking at him. He was the most unapproachable person she had ever met. She didn't even know whether she even liked him or not.

She saw Kevin and Jason speaking to each other next to where the food was being served. Their conversation looked to be somewhat heated so she decided to focus on other's to look at. Uninterested at everyone else she quickly finished her tomato and walked out of the cafeteria. The freedom that Sherry gained by being away from Negan and Sanctuary was being replaced by another weight. She felt a responsibility to protect the people from what Negan could do. She also felt ill-equipped to protect the other communities. She may be useful in a battle but Negan still had a suffocating hold on her that she couldn't shake off her.

Soon after, everyone else dispersed into the cars that brought them to the Kingdom. As she got into the car, Rick looked to her questioningly. "Everything okay?" He asked as he put his hands on the steering wheel.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said as she looked to the road ahead of her. He didn't talk to her for the rest of the trip and let her sit with her own thoughts. She was determined to make sure that Negan didn't hurt anyone else.

…

"Spencer!" Deanna yelled at the sight of her son on the street gutted to death by Negan. She ran to him with tears streaming down her face.

Negan watched her with amazement as she fell to the ground next to him and held him in her arms as she cried helplessly. Carol watched with shock at the whole ordeal and stayed close to Deanna as she looked from side of Alexandria to another. They were utterly surrounded and outnumbered since most of their able bodied people were still in the Kingdom.

"He was a fuckin' little worm. I think I did you all a favor by doing what no one else had the balls to do." Negan said. "Where _are_ the balls in this place? Someone decided to leave most of the poor bitches alone and defenseless?"

"We can take care of ourselves." Carol said as her voice shook with anger by what he did to Spencer. She heard Spencer talking to him just moments before about Rick and how he felt that he wasn't the right leader for Alexandria. Spencer said he thought it best if he take his place. Negan took one look at Spencer and muttered to him that he didn't have the guts to confront Rick about his thoughts himself. With that, he stuck a knife to his middle and started slicing. After which he made a comment that Spencer had guts after all.

"I can see that." Negan said sardonically with a nod and a wink. "Speaking of bitches, I have it on good authority that my wife is currently residing in these parts." He stared at Deanna as she continued to cry for her fallen son. "Her name is Sherry. Name ring a bell?"

Deanna said nothing and looked at her son's face.

"Hey!" Negan said as he walked over to Deanna. "I just fuckin' asked you a question. It's kind curtesy to answer a goddamn question, isn't it?"

Carol stepped in between Deanna and Negan protectively as she held her knife out towards him. "You stay away from her." She warned. Saviors surrounding them held their guns at both Carol and Deanna. Carol could see how precarious their situation was if she threatened Negan. She reluctantly put her knife back in its sheath but still held her ground in front of Deanna as the woman was left alone to grieve.

Negan smirked. "Fine. Then you can point me in the right direction. Where's my wife?" He asked.

"I don't know who you are talking about." Carol said calmly as she looked him straight in the eye.

Negan stared at her for a couple of seconds and laughed quietly. "You're fuckin' too much. But I know that you are fuckin' lying to me right now." He said as he grabbed her quickly and stood behind her. Carol made no noise or any sign that she was intimidated by him even though she was terrified of him like she had a good reason to. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of letting him know that.

"Let's take a tour of this place." Negan said. "You show me every house and any place that someone could hide. How about that?" He turned to look at one of his men that stood next to him.

"Negan." The man said and bowed in respect.

"Clean this mess up." He said gesturing to Spencer's body. "We don't a child seeing this shit."

"Yes, sir." The man said and walked over to Deanna and the body. Carol heard her scream at the man as the man tried to talk sense into the older woman.

"Alright, let's start with this house." He said as they walked towards Rick's house. "This will be fun." He tried to assure to her as they walked in.

…

"I have to go out there." Terri said. "Maybe I could help." Terri and Yolanda watched out the window and saw Deanna fighting at the men who tried to take Spencer away.

"Terri, the children in the house need us." Yolanda said. "What if Negan sees you? He thinks your family is dead."

Terri walked over to her bag filled with medical supplies and strapped it over her shoulder. "I have to do something, Yolanda. Deanna needs my help. Carol needs my help. The kids will be fine with you. Judith is used to being cared for random strangers." She said and started heading out the door without saying a word.

"Mom?" Teegan called after her as he watched her leave the house.

"Your mom is just going to help Miss Monroe." Yolanda said as she opened the pantry door next to the fridge. "I need you kids to hide in here for a little bit."

Teegan looked at her questioningly but didn't argue. He ran over to get Jenna and Troy to do the same. They all walked into the kitchen with fear written on their face as Jenna looked to her mother while she held Judith on her hip.

"What about you?" Jenna asked.

"Hand me this sweetheart." Yolanda said. "We'll get in there when we absolutely need to. If we get in there now, she'll just get restless sooner than later. I just need you three to stay put and stay quiet until Negan is no longer here."

"Will he take us back to Sanctuary?" Jenna asked nearly ready to cry. She handed Judith to Yolanda who held her close.

Yolanda wished that the children didn't have to deal with grown up situations like this. "No. I won't let that happen." Yolanda said. "It's important that Negan doesn't see us. It will jeopardize the trust that Negan has with Dwight. And that's important to keep right now."

Jenna sighed with fear as she walked into the pantry. "Promise you'll join us when you can?" She asked.

Yolanda put a hand on Jenna's cheek and smiled. "I promise." She said. With that, Jenna sat on the pantry floor as Yolanda closed the door behind him.

Judith looked to Yolanda with curiosity and pointed to the pantry door with a smile as she thought the older children were going to play hide-and-seek with her.

Yolanda smiled at the little girl and then gazed out the window. "I'll give you a snack in the pantry if you promise to be quiet when we hide in there." She muttered more to herself. She didn't have much experience with children at that age.

Judith clapped her hands together in excitement when she heard the word 'snack.' Yolanda watched as Terri helped carry Spencer away with Deanna following close behind.

"Oh God, please let everything be okay for one more day." Yolanda said.

…

Their van made it to the gate of Alexandria. They all knew something was wrong as no one made an effort to open the gate for them. Sherry looked to Rick with apprehension as Rick did the same. They both got out of the van and walked to the gate. Everyone else behind them did the same.

"No one is guarding the gate." Rick said gruffly.

Daryl walked to the gate and tried to shake it open. "It's locked." He said as he looked to Rick.

"Open the gates!" Rick yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Walkers!" Michonne said with caution and started walking towards the undead that seemed to come out of nowhere. Sherry saw a couple that were too close for comfort as she went to stab one in the face. She held its chin and raised her knife high as the walker behind the one that she was dealing with came at her. She kicked it over as it fell to the ground and she finally disposed the one that she still held by the chin. She walked over to kill the one on the ground but saw they were completely surrounded by walkers as they started to close in.

"Dammit!" Rick said as they were all fighting walkers and starting to spread out away from each other. "Open the fucking gate!"

Sherry laid the knife into the fallen walker. As she knelt down to strike it down, another walker came at her and pushed her to the ground. She reacted quickly and kept the walker at bay with her feet against its chest. It growled at her as it leaned all its weight against her legs propped up to hold it back. She could feel under her shoes, the walker's rotted corpse start to sink and give out on itself. With one quick move, she quickly rolled to the right as the walker fell to the ground with nothing more supporting it. She laid her knife into the walker's skull as it stopped growling.

The gate started opening up as people began pouring into the security of Alexandria. Rick stayed at the gate to make sure everyone was in there safely before himself. He looked around and saw Sherry was one of the last to get inside.

"Come on!" He held at her as she ran to the gate. She saw Kevin to her left walking towards the undead but Sherry grabbed him by the arm and guided him towards Alexandria. "Now is the not the time, Rambo." She said as she all but pushed him inside. Rick followed behind her as they both turned around and closed the gate behind them. They both jumped back as the walkers tried to grab them on the other side of the gate. Daryl started to close the other gate with tarp on it to keep the walkers out of sight where they would eventually lose interest and start walking the other way. Sherry kept on watching the undead growl at her until she could no longer see them.

Rick turned around and glared at the woman who helped them inside. "What the fuck?" He asked her. "Why wasn't anyone standing watch, Olivia?"

Olivia looked like she was going to go into hysterics as she walked over to Rick. "Negan came earlier than he said. He's here!" She said.

A feeling of dread took over Sherry as her worst fears had been realized. Olivia went on to say more but Sherry could hear nothing. She started to pant as she put both hands to her forehead to try and get a hold of herself. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the interaction but saw it was just Daryl. He said nothing but knew the reason why she started panicking. It was a silent gesture to let her know that they had her back when she needed it.

"He killed Spencer." Olivia said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "He's looking for her." Olivia pointed to Sherry with a hint of contempt behind her voice as if Negan's anger was her fault.

Sherry swallowed the lump in her throat as Rick shook his head. "No! He can't find her." Rick said.

"Do you really think that keeping me is going to stop everything from happening, Rick?" Sherry asked quietly as everyone looked to her.

"Sherry, there can be another way. We can hide you somewhere here." He said to her.

Sherry looked at everyone around her as they looked to her unsure of what to say or do. Sherry felt that she could be the reason that war started in the first place. She knew the people around her sensed that as well. She knew what she had to do. But it was the hardest decision she ever had. "Let me talk to him." Sherry said.

Rick shook his head once more. "No. If he takes you back, then we can't guarantee that Dwight will be on our side anymore." He said.

"Rick, whether Dwight is on your side or not, my being here is a danger to your community and everything that you have built so far. Please let me talk to him!" She said.

"It's too risky." Rick said.

"Trust me." Sherry said. "I know him. I just need to talk to him."

"Should we trust her to go talk to him?" Sasha asked.

"Sasha!" Jason warned. "She's been through the grinder with that shithead. She's trying to help us."

"Rick." Sherry said. "I'm not asking your permission." She started walking away from the group and towards Alexandria. "Just trust me." With that, she started running. "Negan!" She yelled.

…

She kept on running and shouting his name until she saw him coming out of a house with Carol at gun point. "Well, well, well." He said with a big smile on his face. "Here I thought they would be hiding somewhere and you're just here out in the fuckin' open!"

Rick ran towards them clearly enraged. "I thought we had an agreement!" Rick yelled at Negan. "You killed one of my men!"

"You are one selfish bastard, you know that?" Negan responded back to him. "I don't get a fuckin' thank you for taking care of a loose end for you? The next time someone asks me to kill you and put them in charge, I might just take them up on that."

"His intentions aside, we had a deal." Rick said.

"This deal was made before your son stormed into Sanctuary and killed my men. Don't you remember that your people came to get that little prick and decided to burn more than half of our resources? Not to mention you took some captives along the way." Negan said as he walked off the porch and got eye to eye with Rick. "Carson! Get me Lucille." Sherry saw Carson for the first time in the far distance start running towards Deanna's house to retrieve what Negan asked.

The mention of the name gave her chills as she rested a hand on Negan's chest to keep him away from Rick. "He didn't hold me captive, Negan." She said. "I left on my own."

Negan looked to her as she instantly had to gaze away to avoid eye contact. He didn't take the revelation well. There was a mixture of hurt and anger from her words. "Can we please talk about this inside?" She asked.

"Sherry, this is why you don't leave Sanctuary. You are messing with things that shouldn't be messed with." Negan said as calmly as he could.

"Just get in the house." Sherry said not waiting for a response as she walked into the house that she was unsure who it even belonged to. It was just the closest place for privacy. She could hear his footsteps behind him. She took a deep breath and walked in the house with him following behind her.

No sooner than they were alone, he wrapped his arms around her protectively in an embrace. She didn't return the gesture. "Are you okay? If he touched you, he's no better than fuckin' dead." He said and looked at her. With deep concern, he grabbed her chin and inspected her face. "Why do you have a bruise on your forehead?" He asked in a demand.

Sherry thought of when she head butted Jason during combat practice. "No reason. Nothing bad happened." She said.

He kissed her forehead and brought her in another hug. "We'll take you home. This nightmare is over." He said.

Sherry pulled away from him and looked him in the eye. "Negan, I meant what I said out there. I left on my own and brought some of my friends with me." She lied only to keep Dwight out of the picture.

"No, you wouldn't have done that. What is Rick doing to you to make you say that?" Negan asked in disbelief.

"He didn't have to say anything. He doesn't have something hanging over my head so I obey." Sherry said. "Not everyone does that, you know."

Negan folded his arms in front of him and stood tall as he peered at her through skeptic eyes. She could see him trying to control his anger with her. He hadn't physically abused her in a long time but she felt that in that moment he would snap. "No. No you still wouldn't fuckin' leave. Did you not care that you still left two members of your original group in Sanctuary?" He asked lightly threatening the original reason why she had to stay in Sanctuary in the first place.

"Dwight doesn't give a shit where I'm concerned, thanks to you." She lied again. "He only cares about doing what you tell him to. So congratulations on your part for winning that fight."

Negan shrugged but still looked at her unconvinced. "What about us?" He asked.

Sherry knew this would be where it hit home. She started shaking as she tried to find the strength to tell him what needed to be said. "What _about_ us?" She repeated back to him.

"We were hitting it off for a bit, don't you think?" He asked.

"Negan, we have been together from the start because you forced me into a relationship. Ever since we have been together, it has been threat after threat built on top of one another." Sherry spat out all the words that she had been wanting to say to him for a long time. "Do you really think you should be asking about us right now?"

The look on Negan's face looked utterly hurt. Sherry stared at the ground as he was finally at a loss for words.

"Let me get this fucking straight. Are you breaking up with me?" He asked. He huffed out a sigh and unfolded his arms as he looked to her in consternation with eyes wide and black as he still continued to try to keep his frustration inside. Sherry could see that he was like a loose cannon and ready to explode. "Sherry, we may have started on a rough patch but I thought we worked through all of our shit."

"All of our shit meaning that I no longer relented to things you wanted?" Sherry asked her voice raising with anger as well. She was terrified of the man in the same room as her but she wanted to break him just as much as he broke her. She wanted to hurt him in a way that she knew she could. "I don't want to put up with you anymore. We're done."

"Sherry, like I said. You are messing up an awful lot of shit. We were trying to have a fucking baby. Don't you remember that?" He asked.

"Oh my God, Negan. I can't even have kids!" Sherry spat out.

"You say that now but you'll get there someday. I know it's tough for you..." Negan said.

"Negan, I'm trying to tell you that I have known that I can't have kids and I didn't tell you." Sherry said coldly.

Negan looked stunned by her confession but quickly shook his head in denial. "No, that's bullshit. You can have kids. You're just saying that to make me pissed at you." He said.

"You know why I didn't tell you?" Sherry said trying to twist the knife even further. "You were so hell bent on me having your first baby. Not the other wives. For some reason, me having your baby just did it for you. I didn't tell you so you couldn't knock up the other girls. How unfortunate anyone would be that had to carry your offspring. I put up with getting raped by you almost every night so those girls didn't have to deal with y…." Sherry said.

Negan backhanded her across the face quickly and surprisingly. He did with all of his might as she fell to the floor losing her balance from the force. In a matter of seconds, he was on top of her and yelled at her from the top of his lungs. "YOU FUCKIN' BITCH!" He yelled and spat in her face over and over again. He kept on hitting the sides of her face as she nearly started to lose consciousness with every blow.

This time Sherry, tried to get away and fought back. He was too strong for her. Mentally, she knew she had won the battle. Negan was betrayed by her. She broke his heart and didn't feel sorry for it.

He laid one final hit on her ear and walked away overcome with emotion. "I don't know what the fuck has gotten into you but I have decided I need a little break from you. Just for a little while. When this whole thing is over, and Rick finally puts up with the rules, I'll be back for you. Scratch that. You'll be begging me to take you back. Don't forget. You're still my wife. That hasn't changed one goddamn bit." He said as he rolled her onto her stomach. With the many blows to her head, she felt as if she could pass out any second. She could hear someone banging on the door and yelling for Negan to open it. He got on top of her and started taking her shirt off.

She tried to squirm away but Negan's hand held her head to the floor to hold her down. "Don't worry. Now is not the time to get fucking frisky. I just figured if Alexandria is going to borrow you a bit, they need to know who to return you to. Just like a motherfucking library book." He held her up slightly to get the shirt over her shoulders and then held her down once more as he threw the shirt across the room. "This is going to sting but I think you'll like it once it heals. Don't move." He warned as she heard his knife come from its sheath. She started to fight once more unsure of what he was going to do but he grabbed her by the hair and hit her head against the wooden floor.

"What the fuck did I just fucking tell you to do? I said not to move." Negan said as he voice almost sounded like he was in another room. "My fucking beautiful but barren wife. Stubborn as hell but still fuckin hot. Let's hope after your little vacation that you learned that old Negan is the only one that can really take care of you the way you want to be taken care of."

Sherry started to feel the knife on her right shoulder blade as Negan pressed down to break her skin. She held her breath as she the knife carved pierced her. Tears fell on her cheeks as she held still and let Negan do what he felt he needed to do. She could feel Negan writing letters onto her back. The first letter was finished as he started with the next one. _M._

"After all the shit you have put me through. I still want you. Badly." Negan said. "You could be lying about the whole baby thing too. And fuck, you make me so mad sometimes. I just want to fuck you so hard that it hurts you. See what you are doing to me? You make me want to hurt you." _D._

"You know what?" Negan said. "I'm not surprised that Dwight is sick of your shit too. I'm glad that you two have finished whatever the fuck was going between you two. We can finally focus on the important things." _N._

He took a sigh of pride as he beheld his work. "That settles it. More than a wedding ring ever would have." He bent over so his face was inches away from hers. "You can live in your fantasy world all you want. Have your vacation and pretend that we're done. But we'll never be done. You fuckin' belong to me." He said and kissed the side of her face. "I'll see you sooner than you think." With that, he got off of her and walked out of the house leaving her to feel completely helpless and defeated.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Earlier That Day

…

Dwight and Takuya made it back to Sanctuary territory later than they expected. Before they left the Kingdom the night previously, they dirtied the Gila to look as if it were viciously attacked and their team was overrun by the other communities. Now the Gila was bloodied and battered.

Their typical route back to Sanctuary was teeming with walkers and they had to turn around and drive a different path that was less perilous. Dwight needed to get back to Sanctuary to find out what Negan's next move was only to alert the other communities.

Once they made it to the first outpost, Dwight felt something was off. No one greeted them as they drove past. In fact, he saw no one to indicate that there was someone present at the outpost at all.

"That's strange." Takuya said.

Dwight turned the Gila off and got out of the car followed by Takuya. They both walked to the outpost and heard no signs of life. Dwight checked inside the outpost and around it just in case there was any signs of a struggle but there was nothing to indicate the outpost was taken by force.

Dwight returned to the Gila where Takuya stood with a puzzled look on his face. "No one is here." He said. "Reckon we ask where they are via the radio?"

Takuya nodded and they walked to the outpost together once more. Dwight held up the transceiver to his mouth and spoke. "This is Dwight at outpost number 13. Does anyone copy?" He asked.

There was no reply as they waited for several minutes. Takuya and Dwight exchanged a look that was a mixture of apprehension and befuddlement. "This is Dwight Orlich at outpost number 13. Why isn't anyone at this station?" He repeated into the transceiver.

"Dwight, this is Caleb at outpost 5. I copy." They heard Caleb answer from the radio.

"Would you know why there isn't anyone at outpost 13?" He asked.

"We are short handed in Sanctuary." Caleb said as a matter-of-factly.

"Why? Where is everyone?" Dwight asked.

"While some of the communities were preoccupied at the Kingdom because of your men, Negan took the opportunity to go to Alexandria earlier with a hundred men or so." Caleb answered. "We're glad to hear that you guys made it out alive, by the way."

Dwight stayed silent as alarm settled in. Sherry was in Alexandria now. He vowed that Negan wouldn't ever be near her again. He took a deep breath and spoke once more. "When did they leave?" He asked.

"Yesterday afternoon. A couple of hours after you left for the Kingdom." Caleb said.

"Alright, thanks for the information. Stay sharp, out there." Dwight said and turned the transceiver off. He looked to Takuya then left the outpost without another word.

Takuya followed and could easily keep up as Dwight limped to the Gila. "What's your plan?" Takuya asked.

"We are going back to the Kingdom." Dwight said as he climbed into the driver's seat. "By the time we get there, Hilltop and Alexandria will already have left for their communities but Alexandria needs back up and fast."

"What do you think Negan would have wanted with a hundred men in Alexandria?" Takuya asked.

Dwight started the Gila and turned around on the road. "Whatever he wants, it can't be good." He said and drove back to the Kingdom.

…

Negan walked out of the house not surprised to see Rick standing on the porch looking livid and worried for Sherry's well-being. Rick tried to peer into the house but saw nothing and gazed back at Negan who wore a smile on his face. However, Rick could see past the cheerful exterior and saw the look of a man who was guilt ridden for something that he had just done.

Negan looked to Rick and motioned for him to follow as he started walking towards the gate. Rick saw Carol walk into his house to check on Sherry as they ambled to where some of Negan's men waited by Rick's van and other trucks that just arrived back from the Kingdom.

"Picking up some supplies for the next time you ran into us?" Negan asked him as he looked at the supplies somewhat dismayed with the small amount.

Rick kept on looking towards his house and back to Negan to focus on what Negan wanted him to do. He needed him to pretend that their agreement was somewhat still intact even if they both had attacked each other in the past. "We weren't expecting you for a couple more days. This is all we have for now." He said.

"Because we came early and ironed some things out that needed to be addressed, I suggest that you just keep this shit. We won't tax you again for another week." Negan said.

Rick shook his head. "A deal is a deal." He said. "You get half. That's what we agreed on."

Negan looked to him somewhat taken aback by Rick's submissiveness but shrugged. "If you fucking insist." Negan said and motioned for his men to grab the things that were in the trucks.

"What's happening with Sherry?" Rick asked.

"She explained how she left on her own accord when you guys came to Sanctuary and got your boy back. Is that the truth?" He asked.

Rick knew she probably had a reason to lie to Negan so he nodded. "Yeah." He said.

"I have decided we need a little break from each other." Negan said. "You sometimes try your fucking best to make your wife happy and for what?" He sighed and looked down. "If she is any trouble to you while she is staying here, please send her my way again. And if anyone touches her, let me know."

Rick nodded but knew he wouldn't fulfill either of his requests.

Negan smiled and patted Rick's back. "I made sure that everyone knows who to send her back to if there is a small chance of any difficulty." He said and walked towards the other Saviors to oversee their work as they separated everything by half.

Rick stood frozen as he looked around to see all the Saviors that were with Negan as a plan formulated in his mind. He didn't know how much time he had to sit on the scheme developing in his head but he knew that since Negan already spoke to Sherry and was putting the supplies together, his time to think was short lived. He counted the Saviors in front of him and knew without a doubt that the dozen were outmatched by his community. He could end it all on that day.

He just needed to think things through carefully.

"Sasha." Rick said as Sasha and Michonne were passing and walking further into Sanctuary. She gave him a look and walked to him with curiosity.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Once those men walk out of the gate, I want you to step up to the watch tower locked and loaded." Rick said in low voice so only she could hear.

Sasha looked to him with wide eyes but nodded her consent. Rick didn't know the whole plan as to what they were going to do but he knew there would be blood that day.

…

Tears welled up in Sherry's eyes as she tried to peel herself off the floor without irritating the brandishing wound on her back. It wasn't incredibly deep but she knew it would forever leave a mark for her to carry for the rest of her life along with the other scars she bore from Negan.

A couple of sobs escaped her throat suddenly as she tried to contain herself. The tears that fell down her face weren't sad tears. Sherry was angry. After less than a week out of Sanctuary, she hoped that Negan would never touch or hurt her again. But she knew that while he was still in power that he would come for her and whoever stood in his way.

Sherry felt helpless to stop him. Which made her even more frustrated with the current predicament that she found herself in. One thing that she knew for certain was that she was sick of being abused by him every time that she saw him. She was fed up with the way he treated everyone around him. Negan was someone who didn't deserve to live and he stood in the way of others living a better life.

Sherry stood up awkwardly and slowly as she retrieved her shirt that was thrown to the wayside. She took a deep breath as she quickly put the shirt over her new wound as she groaned from the pain from the sudden action. She shook her head as she tried to focus on being present and alert for the Alexandrians.

The door opened as she saw Carol come into the house. Carol didn't look surprised to see Sherry in the disarray with her face being bruised. She formed a small apologetic smile and closed the door behind her then looked back to Sherry again.

"Are you okay?" Carol asked simply.

Sherry took a deep breath and hurriedly wiped the tears that were still on her cheeks even though new tears emerged sooner than she could get rid of them. She was still shaking from her encounter but nodded regardless of how she appeared. "I'm okay." She confirmed. "I just need a minute."

"There used to be a time when things moved a lot slower." Carol said as she started walking towards Sherry with comfort in her eyes. Sherry eyed her warily but let the older woman approach her. "When things like this happened, people could have time to heal in more ways than one. We don't get that time anymore. Things happen so fast now." She stopped to see if Sherry was following what she was saying. "Instead of having time to heal, we act fast and rely on our instincts to get things done."

Sherry still shook but understood what Carol was trying to relate to her. She lived in a world where the people left standing had to kill in order to stay alive. The person she was before Sanctuary understood that. Now that she was still picking up remnants of her old self, it clicked once more. She didn't have to be a victim anymore.

Despite Negan still having control over everyone, she had more freedom. And she could defy him more than she ever was able to before. Relief started to sink in as she looked to Carol.

"What are you instincts telling you to do now?" Carol asked.

"We need to get rid of him." Sherry said in a voice that she finally recognized after so long of it being absent. _Welcome back,_ she thought to herself.

Carol smiled in a comforting manner. "Fear can either lead us to hide or be stronger than we ever were before." She said. "But you still have demons to overcome. The people who hide from their problems are dead. The ones who become stronger will survive throughout all of this. Remember that throughout the rest of your life."

The door burst open with Rick, Sasha, Daryl, Heath and Michonne entering the house. They all immediately looked to Sherry's disheveled appearance with sympathy but Sherry didn't want their pity. She kept her chin up and pretended that she was alright.

"What happened?" Rick asked.

"I made him mad at me so his anger would be transferred to me and not Alexandria. You're welcome." Sherry said.

"It won't be like that for long." Rick said confidently in a low and dangerous voice.

"Why?" Sherry asked.

"There's only a dozen or more men from Sanctuary in Alexandria right now." Daryl spoke up as he watched from the window with his crossbow at the ready. "We could take 'em on easily."

Sherry had no objection to the plan and nodded her approval. "What do you need us to do?" She asked as she looked Rick straight in the eye with determination to end their suffering.

"For right now, we need to act as if everything is completely normal. Once Negan is on the other side of that fence, then we'll do what we got to do." Rick said.

"Once that happens, where do you want us?" Carol asked on behalf of her and Sherry as they were being clued into the plan.

"I want everyone near the fence opening fire. Everyone that is able to." Rick said as he looked to Carol but then made eye contact. "Can you help us or do you need to see Terri before?"

"How much time do we have?" Sherry asked.

"Negan and his men are packing up some supplies right now before they take off." Rick said. "You should go see Terri now before shit starts to hit the fan."

Sherry nodded and started to walk out of the house. She looked up to see Negan near the gate as he watched her with a mixture of greedy and resentful eyes. Sherry could tell that Negan still cared about her but was now holding caution. She knew her words hurt him and she didn't regret it one bit. She was satisfied that the tables were turned and that she could affect him where it mattered. Negan loved her and she used that to upset him in the worst way by revealing that she was dishonest with him. She didn't reciprocate his feelings towards her and she would never have his children. Those were two truths that she knew cut him to the core.

As they stared each other down from a distance, she heard footsteps approach from behind her. Sherry turned to see Sasha look to her bruised face with concern.

"Did you know your back is bleeding?" Sasha asked as she stood next to her.

Sherry was unsure of how to react by Sasha's cordial tone. It was the first that she heard it. Sherry nodded to her question but stayed silent as she tried to read where Sasha was coming from.

"I wanted to hate you." Sasha said in an honest voice. "For what happened to Abraham. I wanted to kill you so that the person who killed Abraham would know how much it hurt to have someone be taken away. But I can't do it because we're on the same side."

"We are." Sherry agreed. "I'm sorry about what happened to your…friend."

"I am too." Sasha said. "I'm sorry that I wanted to kill you."

Sherry gave her a small smile and started heading towards Terri's house hoping to get a couple of bandages before everything happened. She was grateful for her mind to be cleared of the sorrow that she had felt in the past with new motivation to keep her looking towards the future. She no longer wanted to dwell on the weaknesses she had but instead focused on the strengths she now possessed because of her past experiences.

She was out for revenge and couldn't wait to see it fulfilled.

…

Once Dwight and Takuya warned the Kingdom about the impeding danger, they made their way straight to Alexandria to be there when things started becoming perilous. Dwight didn't know what the plan was when he arrived there but he knew that he had to do something so less people had to die.

Dwight knew that Negan wouldn't have sent so many men unless he wanted to start something violent. Negan was aware of Alexandria's new allies and was also a fan of making examples of people who disobeyed him. Dwight hoped that he wasn't too late and that Alexandria wasn't already burned to a crisp before he got there.

Takuya eyed him cautiously as Dwight breathed angrily with his lips in a tight line. "We don't know that Negan is going to start something." He said to make his friend feel better.

Dwight just kept his gaze on the road avoiding Takuya's attempts at making him feel better. He knew Negan was there only to push buttons. What made Dwight feel worse was that Sherry was in Alexandria. He felt incredibly guilty for causing her so much pain while they lived in Sanctuary. He didn't want her to endure anymore pain than she had to. Most of all, he didn't want Negan anywhere near her.

The news Sherry delivered to him last night was a blow that he was ready for. The night after Dwight got his face burnt he thought was the last of their mutual punishment in regards to them sleeping with each other. He didn't know that Negan continued his abuse with Sherry for years.

For a while, he wondered if Sherry also shared feelings for Negan. Even if she did, Dwight was prepared to live the rest of his life still carrying out Negan's orders because his feelings never changed.

He almost wished that Sherry shared feelings with Negan versus what really happened. He kept on playing that dreadful night over and over in his head and felt sick to his stomach knowing it wasn't the last time Negan invaded Sherry's trust and her entire self. The fact that it was happening under Dwight's nose made him boil with hatred. He touched his burn mark with his index finger nonchalantly as he became lost in thought and let his anger get the best of him only to harness it when he needed it later in life.

He often let his dark side rule over only so he could carry out things that needed to be done in the future. Any resentment he felt towards Negan was never forgotten and remembered often the things he felt bitterness towards. He fed his anger by thinking of the ways that he would kill Negan. Many ideas popped into his head but he knew whatever direction he took, it would be a slow and painful death. It was only fitting for someone like him.

Dwight could feel Takuya's eyes on him still but remained focused on the road to avoid conversation. He was too worried to say anything at that point.

He only wanted Sanctuary and Negan to finally fall.

…

Sherry entered Jason and Terri's house to hear Jason and Yolanda talking worriedly to each other.

"And you don't know where she was headed after that?" Jason asked concerned.

"She can't be too far." Yolanda assured while holding Judith who looked around in question towards everyone. "I saw her help Deanna with… Spencer… and then they disappeared from my view."

Jason rubbed the back of his head as he looked out the windows wondering where his wife was. His nose was still bandaged up from their fight earlier that day.

Yolanda looked to Sherry and gasped at the sight of her. "Oh, sweetheart. What happened to you?" She asked.

"I had a slight run in with the husband but that mess is all taken care of." Sherry said as she walked into the kitchen next to Jason. The kids all eyed her warily from the kitchen table as their expressions wore shock and sadness from her appearance. "Hopefully." She said as she finished her thought. She didn't want to run into Negan ever again.

"Did you see Terri out there? Anywhere?" Jason asked her as he walked over to her.

Sherry looked at the kids sitting at the table pretending to work on Lego's but knew they were eavesdropping on their conversation. She didn't want to worry them with the lack of information that she had.

Jason saw her looking at the kids and understood her concern. "Kids, go play in the other room." He said to them soothingly.

They knew better than to argue and left without saying another word.

Once they were out of view, Sherry looked back at Jason. "I don't know where Terri is but I know Rick is planning on attacking the Saviors once they are on the other side of the gate. He needs as much help as he can get." She explained.

Jason took a deep breath but shook his head. "I can't be of help until I know where Terri is." He said. "I just have a bad feeling."

Sherry grinded her teeth as she tried to think of a plan. "I was trying to look for her here hoping she could look at a couple of things before everything started going down. Jason, they need you at the gate. I will try and find Terri right now if you head over to the front gate yourself." Sherry said.

Jason gruffed as he looked to Sherry.

"I promise, Jason. I won't be a waste of space. If she's in trouble, I will do what I can." She said.

"You promise me?" Jason asked.

She nodded. "I promise."

He exhaled with minor relief then looked to the side of her head. "You know you're bleeding by your ear, right?" He asked.

She put a hand up to her ear and examined the blood. "Didn't even feel that." She said but the second she saw the blood, she could feel the ache on the side of her head. "There was a reason that I needed to see Terri."

"Would you let me know as soon as you find her?" Jason asked.

"Yeah." She said as she started making her way out of the house. Before she left, she yelled to Yolanda. "Yolie, you and the kids need to find a safe place to hide other than this house. Somewhere further into Alexandria and not too close to the gate."

Yolanda nodded and looked to Jason.

"Go to the church. I'll let Rick know Judith is with you." He said.

"Okay." Yolanda said and walked into the living room to gather the kids up. "Kids, we're going to leave the house for a bit."

…

Sherry and Jason walked out of the house but quickly split directions as Jason headed to the gate and Sherry made a conclusion as to where Terri was at. She heard Yolanda say that she was assisting Deanna with Spencer so she thought to first search at her house to find her.

…

"Well, that's the last of it." Negan said as he looked to the supplies that were stocked in their truck. "That is a sorry piece of shit for supplies, don't you think?" He asked as he looked condescendingly to Rick.

Rick looked back at him with distaste. "Next time, don't come earlier than planned. It would save you some grief of getting you less than what you wanted." He said in a way that made Negan smile at his obvious cynicism in regards to him.

Negan patted the top of Rick's head gently. "You're an obedient son of a bitch, I'll give you that." Negan said. "Any other person would fucking conspire against me but you just sit and take it."

Rick eyed him with fury with what Negan just said but he tried to play it cool regardless.

"Whatever you are thinking about doing, I suggest you stop it now." Negan said. "There won't be any turning back once the fucking shit starts going down."

Rick said nothing in reply which made Negan snort with delight. "Just thought I would forewarn you." He said and then started walking towards the gate where his men were.

…

Rick watched as the gate opened and the truck slowly started making its way out of Alexandria. "We're going to act very soon." He said to Daryl who started making his way towards him.

"Is Sasha ready?" Daryl asked.

"She's going to make the first move so I hope that she's ready." Rick said.

…

Sasha watched from her scope in the watch tower as the truck started rolling out of their community. She waited for the right moment to fire and avenge the death of Abraham.

…

Sherry finally made it to Deanna's house and knocked on the door. She had a strong feeling that Terri was in there but like Jason, she felt that something wasn't right. It wasn't like Terri to disappear without checking in every so often to keep everyone updated. She would have also checked to see how her kids were doing but there was nothing.

No response came from the other side of the door so Sherry decided to open it anyways. She knew Terri and Deanna were in there.

Once she walked in, she saw Spencer's body in the hallway next to the stairs as she let out an inaudible gasp. She covered her mouth as she tried to look away from Negan's handiwork but couldn't stop looking.

There was no other noise in the house. But Sherry didn't turn around. The feeling that someone else was still in the house unnerved her. She almost felt a panic attack start but took a deep breath and walked to the living room to see Deanna and Terri sitting on the couch with their hands behind their heads as they looked to Sherry with worry. Then she knew that she and all of Alexandria fell into a trap.

A Savior stood in the living room with a gun pointed at Sherry. "Nice of you to join the party, Mrs. Negan." He said smugly.

…

"So you're leaving her in Alexandria?" The Savior who drove the truck next to Negan asked. Negan didn't even know the man's name. He didn't care to know.

"She'll be back soon." Negan said. "It's all a matter of playing the cards—" His voicing his thoughts out loud was cut off as he heard a bang and blood spattered everywhere in the cab of the truck. He looked next to him to see the driver of their supply truck shot down and dead.

"No fucking way." Negan said nonchalantly and then the anger started building up inside and outside his entire being. "No fuckity FUCKING WAY!" He opened the driver's side door and pushed the driver out as he put the truck in park. From the side mirrors, he could see a couple of Alexandrians being led by Rick making their way out of the gate and towards the truck. All of them had guns pointing to him and his men.

 _Not all of my men,_ Negan thought as he stepped out of the car with Lucille in hand.

"What the FUCK do you think you're doing?" Negan asked as he strode over to Rick with almost every vein about ready to pop.

Rick kept his aim on Negan as more Saviors started making their way out of the truck with their own guns loaded. The Alexandrians lined the walls from the inside as several men were right in the thick of it at the gates.

"You ever hear about bringing a baseball bat to a gun fight?" Rick asked sarcastically.

Negan smiled at the humor behind the words but also that he still had the upper hand. He whistled loudly and could hear the other Saviors emerge from the woods with their weapons drawn.

Negan watched as he read the shock on Rick's face when he saw more Saviors than they were ready for close in on his community that he was so proud of. Negan smiled even wider as he looked to Rick with satisfaction.

"You ever hear the one about the stupid fuck named Rick who fucking thought he knew shit but didn't know shit and got himself killed?" Negan asked as he watched Rick's reaction turn from shock to anger towards him. "That story was about you. You got that, right?" He asked.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE – Some lines were direct quotes from the comic. Saying something else wouldn't do it justice.**


	15. Chapter 15

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – I had to think about this chapter long and hard before posting it. Thanks to apenny12 for hearing my thoughts and frustrations about this chapter. I myself didn't know which direction it was going to take. But now I feel like all the choices were made correctly and gave justice to the characters and what they would do in that situation.**

 **As an amateur writer, I still have characters that come alive for me. Some chapters write themselves because decisions that need to be made are made the way my living and breathing characters would have made them. These characters [Dwight & Sherry] are at a point now where they are their own people. They come alive through pen and paper. I can make decisions all I want about what the premise demands but ultimately it needs to flow with how they would react to things or how their own course of action would lead them to do the things they do. Sounds weird, right? **

Chapter 15

The Savior held his assault rifle towards Sherry as he waited for her to put her hands up. Sherry looked to Deanna and Terri as they both looked to be a little rattled to be taken hostage but were handling it well. Sherry tried to be methodical in what she would do next so she could do what needed to be done.

Sherry thought of what Negan probably would have said to the fellow Saviors on their way to Alexandria. It wasn't Negan's plan to leave her there. That was recent news that she hoped that man in Deanna's house was unaware of. For all he knew, she could have been on his side.

Just then, they all jumped when they heard a gunshot sound towards the gate. It was surprising for all them to hear except for Sherry because she knew of the plan to try and takeover Negan once and for all. Even the man was caught uninformed despite being planted there. He looked out the window next to the bookcase for less than a second and then put his gaze back on her. Sherry assumed that Negan put him there in case things went south but told him not to worry as nothing would happen and then assumed the Alexandrian's would return him only to remain compliant with the Saviors.

Sherry thought of what Negan was probably thinking. It wasn't difficult for Negan to be one step ahead. He had a feeling things would go down the way they were occurring at the gates. Otherwise, the Savior wouldn't be in Deanna's house.

But Sherry had to try and keep her wits about her as she tried to outmatch the danger that was currently pointing a gun at her face. She tried to absorb every detail in Deanna's house that she could use to her advantage. At the moment, she couldn't see anything. She took a deep breath and remembered that more than just Terri and Deanna were counting on her to take care of things. Terri had a family. Deanna was responsible for most of the progress that Alexandria had made in order to be a community. A lot of people needed her to make difficult decisions. She couldn't let everyone down. There was too much at risk.

Sherry eyed the assailant with determination and tried to appear trustworthy. "There is some trouble at the gate. Negan needs your help." Sherry said calmly as she raised her hands to try and give the Savior some assurance that she would comply.

The man snorted as he looked her appearance up and down as if to figure out whether she was telling the truth or not. "What kind of trouble?" He quipped back.

"The Alexandrians are putting up a fight." Sherry explained. "They are pushing way more than he expected them to."

"Oh yeah? Did you know that the Saviors numbers right outside those walls are quite a few more than what the Alexandrians have?" The Savior asked her with a smile on his face.

Terri and Deanna looked to each other as their jaws dropped from the news. The realization of being surrounded felt claustrophobic and hopeless to all three of the women in the room.

Sherry tried to show no emotion from the news as she stared him straight in the eye. "Hey, I'm just the messenger. I'm sure Negan would want to know why you didn't show up to help everyone out when they needed them." She said.

The Savior suddenly looked conflicted despite knowing the Saviors had the benefit of more soldiers when he thought of the wrath Negan could ensue on him if he didn't follow orders. "Would he really have sent you? Of all people?" He asked gaining confidence as he thought out loud. He stepped towards her with the gun still aimed at her. "His disobedient little twat that needed a lesson in manners." His gun grazed her chest right below her throat as he looked at her with an eye that Sherry knew well. It made her stomach turn but she fought to stay collected.

"Like I said, they are desperate. He also wanted me to coerce her with us back to Sanctuary." Sherry said as she slowly pointed to Terri. "I have a couple of injuries that need to be tended to and Negan wanted it to be first priority that I am fixed up."

Terri looked to her in slight confusion but said nothing. She knew Sherry was only playing a game to try and get some sort of advantage.

"I don't think Negan would want you to be left alone, would he?" The Savior said having logic take over. Sherry could have kicked herself for thinking that trying to trick him into letting them escape would work. "Sit down next to the others on the couch." He said while nudging her with his gun to follow his orders. "You'll be here until Negan picks you up."

Sherry slowly walked to the couch in defeat as she sat next to Deanna. Deanna instantly reached for her hand in comfort and gratitude as she looked her in the eyes. Despite the plan not working, Deanna was appreciative of the effort regardless. Sherry gave her a weak smile in return and squeezed her hand back. They sat in silence as the Savior took his place by the window trying to eye both his hostages and what was going on outside.

…

Dwight and Takuya finally arrived at Alexandria to see commotion at the gates. As Dwight stopped the car, he saw Rick, Daryl, a man he remembered meeting at the Kingdom named Heath, and Jason kneeling down in a row with their hands behind their backs. Negan was pacing back and forth among them with Lucille in hand.

"Oh, fuck." Dwight muttered as he reached for his crossbow and looked to Takuya. Takuya returned the glance with worry.

"Do you think Negan recognizes Jason?" Takuya asked fearfully.

At that moment, Negan turned to look at Dwight and pointed at Jason with Lucille. He shrugged his shoulders in an exaggerated manner flabbergasted that the man was still alive.

"Yes." Dwight growled under his breath and got out of the car to prepare for the earful he was going to hear.

They approached Negan with their weapons in hand as they looked all around them. Dwight kept an eye out for Sherry but didn't see her anywhere in sight. He hoped that she was okay and that Negan didn't go near her.

"What the fuck is this?" Negan said still looking from Jason to Dwight. "Remember you told me almost three fuckin' years ago that he was dead? But here he is! Did you come back a walker, Dwight? Is that man a walker?" Negan taunted in his face.

Dwight looked to him and then back to Negan. "No." He said in between gritted teeth trying to keep his anger at bay.

"Did he resurrect from the grave like Jesus? I'm just trying to put some fuckin' pieces together but it's just not computing right now. Am I being fuckin' stupid piece of shit or did you lie to me?" Negan asked.

Dwight looked to Jason as he in turn looked to Dwight. In that small exchange, Dwight thought about the time where Jason's family did their part in their small group before Sanctuary. They counted on each other to survive. Dwight needed to let Jason know that even after so much time had passed, he still had his back. "That night we were attacked by walkers and were separated from Jason. He was surrounded. I assumed he was dead." Dwight said in a quick lie as he looked Negan straight in the eye; unwavering in his resolution to do right by Jason.

Negan stared back at him and huffed with a smile. "Maybe my men should have been more thorough in their search for you motherfuckers." He said and turned to Jason. "How's the wife and kids?" He asked in a friendly voice.

Jason looked worried at the mention of his family being uttered by a man that he feared. "They are safe." Jason said as he cast his eyes downward at the dirt beneath him.

Negan whistled and looked towards Alexandria. "You guys aren't looking to be in a good spot." Negan walked over to Rick and bent down to stare at him eye to eye. "I figured you were going to do something this stupid. Just a hunch. So I brought back up just in case said stupid shit was about to go down. And my fuckin' hunch was correct. Did you know I left some men inside Alexandria too?" He said.

Dwight noticed Jason gritted his teeth together with his nostrils flared. It didn't go unnoticed by Negan either. "What? Your family isn't as safe as you thought they were?" He asked.

They all heard a gunshot ring through the area quickly followed by slivers of wood being splattered everywhere between Rick and Negan. Dwight and the others around the area covered their faces from the pieces of wood flying.

Then Dwight saw Negan shaking with anger. This was the angriest he had ever seen him. _Oh, shit,_ Dwight thought.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Negan yelled as he looked to see his baseball bat that was once in one piece by shattered to bits. The barbed wire helped keep it mostly together but Lucille was destroyed. And her owner wasn't happy about it.

Dwight saw from the gate Carl take his aim away from Lucille with a small smirk on his face. Others in Alexandria looked to him with shock as the teenager did his best to taunt the leader of the Saviors. Unfortunately, he pushed the wrong buttons.

"You one eyed motherfucker!" Negan yelled.

…

They heard a gunshot from inside the house as Deanna held onto Sherry's hand even tighter. The man looked outside the window in an antsy manner as he looked from the window to the three women sitting on the couch.

Sherry could feel another person's gaze on her other than the Savior. She looked beside her and saw Deanna peering at her with determination in her eyes.

"We can get out of this." Deanna said quietly with her voice full of emotion.

Sherry took a deep breath as a lump formed in her throat. She knew her life would never get easier. To protect the people that she cared about, their always had to be a sacrifice. Something had to give when something was taken. Dwight had killed to keep the people he loved alive. Sherry looked to the Savior in the room with a new determination. He was the one jeopardizing everything they had worked for. He was in the way. She gulped and closed her eyes as she knew she couldn't talk her way out of their situation. Sherry tried and that already failed.

She wondered how long the standoff outside the Alexandria walls would take place. If it ended before their encounter inside, would he continue to hold them hostage for a ransom? Sherry wanted Terri to see her family again. The Savior had to die.

The realization hit her like a brick wall as she subtly looked around the room wondering how she could have an edge. The Savior had a gun and she had nothing. She needed something and she needed the opportune moment to make her move.

Deanna squeezed her hand again and looked over at her shoulder blade behind her. "Oh, Sherry." Deanna said in a voice that Sherry recognized as a bluff. "Your shoulder is bleeding."

Sherry sat up and tried to arch her back to see. The movement only aggravated her new scars as she winced in pain.

Sherry used this to her advantage and looked to the Savior and feigned pleading eyes. "Can Terri look at my back, please? As long as we are in here, we could just go about our business, right? I don't think Negan would approve of me not being looked at with a nurse around." Sherry warned.

The Savior nodded but kept his gun on her. "Yeah, sure." He said and then pointed the gun to Terri as he spoke to the blonde woman. "You try anything or if she ends up dead, then we're all as good as dead. You got it?"

Terri got up with her medical bag close as she and Sherry walked to the kitchen. "I wouldn't dream of it." She said as her voice shook.

Sherry sat on a barstool as Terri placed her bag on the table. "Something wrong with your back?" She asked as she saw Sherry's bloodstained shirt. Sherry eyed the Savior who was looking at her but then focused her gaze on Terri.

"I just need to know if I need stitches or not." Sherry said. She then looked to the man who kept his aim on her. "Is it okay if we go to the other room for privacy?"

"Who do you think I am?" The Savior asked astonished that she would make such a request.

"Do you really think we are going to try anything?" Sherry asked back. "Deanna is in the room with you. If we do something dumb, her blood would be on our hands."

The Savior considered this as he looked to the woman who sat on the couch lost in thought and grief for her son. He made a sigh of resignation and nodded his consent to her request. "Just don't try anything." He said.

"Thanks…" Sherry said in the sweetest voice she could muster as she tried to think of his name but she couldn't for the life of her. She saw him periodically in Sanctuary but was never allowed to talk to most of the other Saviors especially if they were men.

"My name is Anderson." He said taken aback by her attempt to sound civil. Sherry wasn't a flirt by nature but she tried to sound like a natural only to be on the man's good side.

"Anderson." She said admirably. "Thank you so much."

Terri went into the hallway as Sherry walked to the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Anderson asked.

"I just need to get some ice to numb my back if I'm about to get stitches." Sherry said as she looked through the cabinets for a large bowl. His view was obscured from what was going on behind the fridge as she discreetly grabbed a kitchen knife that was on the counter. Once she found a large salad bowl, she placed the knife inside and then opened the freezer to retrieve the ice. She looked up and smiled in Anderson's direction as he hesitantly smiled back. She almost regretted what she knew had to be done. _Kill or be killed,_ she reminded herself as she walked to the hallway where Terri waited for her.

"What is going on?" Terri whispered so quietly that Sherry could hardly hear her.

Sherry started taking her shirt off so Terri could see her new wound. When her shirt was no longer blocking it, she heard Terri take a deep breath of disgust mixed with regret.

"What happened to you?" Terri asked in horror. "I wanted to ask when I saw your face but what happened?!"

"I told Negan something he didn't want to hear." Sherry said simply. It didn't need an explanation beyond that.

"What does _MDN_ mean?" Terri asked. "That's what is spelled on your shoulder blade if you didn't know."

"They are his initials." Sherry said as she felt ice being pressed against it. She was shocked by the reaction as she took in a deep breath.

"You only need stitches in a couple of spots that are really deep." Terri said. "Do you want to do those now or later?" She asked knowing Sherry had something up her sleeve and possibly didn't have time for stitches in their dire moment.

"Later. But for now pretend that you are doing something." Sherry said as she put her shirt back on and faced Terri.

Terri tilted Sherry's head as she looked at the side of it above her ear. "Do you think you have a concussion because of this?" She asked. "Do you know what a concussion feels like?"

"I have been hit across the face so hard that I have passed out before… Multiple times… Even though they were tough hits from Negan today, it doesn't feel like a concussion like I have had before." Sherry said.

"That's good to hear." Terri said. "Seeing as you need to use your head for what you are going to do next. What exactly are you going to do next?"

Sherry reached into the ice bowl and pulled out the knife she stealthily retrieved. Terri raised an eyebrow and looked to Sherry questioningly wondering if she was the kind of person that could do what she intended to do.

"I'm just waiting for the opportunity." Sherry said as she tried to look into the room where their detainer was but he was too far away to be seen.

…

"That little fuck is going to pay for what he did to Lucille." Negan said angrily as he paced back and forth in front of the men kneeling. He kept his eyes on Carl who in turn stared back at Negan unyielding to his intimidation methods.

"I'll tell you what!" Negan yelled for everyone at the gates to hear. "No one has to die today if someone turns in that cock sucking little teenage fucker right now."

Dwight watched as Rick turned around to see if anyone would comply with Negan's wishes. Everyone at the gates just stood there. They didn't even look as if they were going to open the gates to shove Carl to the enemy. They protected him despite the unknown.

"No?" Negan asked and dropped what was left of Lucille and produced a gun from his jacket. "Then someone else is going to pay!" He said as he looked to the four men lined up in front of him.

Dwight felt awkward to stand next to Negan as such a pivotal moment for the Alexandrians took place. Could he just stand by idly as a prominent member of their community became a casualty?

Negan pointed the gun in Rick's face. Carl took a step forward and aimed his gun at Negan. Negan saw the movement of caution and smiled. "You don't like it when Daddy has a gun pointed at his fuckin' mug?" Negan said as he put the gun directly on Rick's forehead. "Go ahead and shoot me, Carl! See how well the rest of your group will fair if that happens!"

Negan addressed Rick who was breathing heavily in anger. "I have already established that killing you won't do any good. If I kill you, you'll be a fuckin' martyr. These people will fuckin' worship you…whatever is left of you, that is. Would that do me any good worth a damn? Fuck no!" Negan said and moved onto the next person in line being Daryl.

"I could go for you. Who would miss the redneck, right?" Negan said with a smile on his face as Daryl stared at him looking the least bit fazed at his words or his threats.

Negan then pointed the gun at Jason which made Dwight cringe inside. Takuya stirred next to him as they watched holding their breath at what could happen next.

"You escaped me once. Maybe I could teach your family a lesson that they were better off staying put in the town I created to keep them safe. Wouldn't that be something?" He asked but then moved to Heath.

"I would be a motherfucking racist if I shot you." Negan said with a laugh. "You are practically untouchable."

Negan backed away to observe all of them but shook his head. "I can't make a fucking decision for the life of me. So many benefits to killing each and every single one of you." He was quiet for a moment as he weighed all of his options. Then he took a deep breath and handed the gun to Dwight. "I thought of a better idea."

Dwight looked at the gun in Negan's hand and then to the men lined up. "Why me?" Dwight asked slightly annoyed that he was being put on the spot in that moment where what turned into a pivotal moment for Alexandria was turning critical for their entire operation of overthrowing Negan at all.

"I need to test you, Dwight. Simple as that. I know you followed orders before with Sherry around but she's staying in Alexandria for the time being. It's time to see how loyal you really are." Negan said. With Negan's back turned, Dwight could see Rick's hope of ever having the upper hand with Negan being snuffed. Out of the corner of Dwight's eye he spotted Carl's jaw drop as he wondered if taunting Negan by shooting Lucille was the best decision as it proved to be a moment where anything could happen.

Dwight stood still unsure of what to do. His loyalty was obviously wherever Sherry was. Alexandria protected her. They got her out of Sanctuary which was something that Dwight was never able to do himself. He owed a great deal of gratitude towards Rick. But Rick wanted him to feign loyalty to Negan so Dwight could relay information back to their efforts only to be one step ahead of the upcoming war between communities.

Dwight reluctantly took the gun as he gazed at it in his hands. His stomach twisted into knots as he contemplated what was going to happen. His mind was tormented and pulled into two choices. He could refuse to shoot and then risk being killed on the spot. Or worse, someone being killed for his insubordination.

He could take his shot with one of the men that were lined up in front of him but would lose their trust in him. He knew Rick wanted him to stay on good terms with Negan. But he knew Rick's desire for him to be a double agent wasn't over someone's life being at stake as much as it was in that moment.

His other option was aiming his gun at Negan. But he didn't know the can of worms that could potentially open with the Saviors outweighing the numbers of the Alexandrians. They could slaughter them. He alerted the Kingdom that Alexandria was going to be under siege but didn't know when or if they were going to show up to help.

All Dwight could do was stare at the gun. He could hear his heartbeat fast as he contemplated what to do. There was too much at stake for everyone involved. He could hear footsteps to his right get closer to him and then heard Negan whisper in his ear with his back turned from the Alexandrians on their knees with their lives on the line.

"You have been my second in command for a long time. I told you years ago that sacrifices have to be made so that we run this world for the betterment of everyone. Are you one of the strong ones that lives throughout all of this or are you fucking weak? Let all of us know now so I don't have to fuckin' waste my time with you anymore." Negan whispered. "Show me that you want to be with us right now."

Dwight grinded his teeth as he refused to look the men in the eyes. He hated admitting in his thoughts that perhaps he being too emotionally attached to their current predicament was what the problem was. Negan put him in a situation where he ultimately couldn't win. This was his game over.

Dwight thought of his brother John and what he would have done in his shoes. And he knew the answer. John would have taken his own life before putting others at risk. John was noble in ways that Dwight never would have. Perhaps until that moment where Dwight considered taking his route. Blood would have been spilt which would have satisfied Negan and he would leave the Alexandrians alone for one more day. With Dwight out of the picture he wouldn't give them the upper hand of being a double agent but he knew the only person in the way of them having a victory was himself.

 _Goodbye, Sher,_ he thought to himself as he started to raise the gun. It eased himself knowing that she was the last person he would ever think about. His only regret was that he didn't have more time with her to make her world a better place like he promised he would. He hoped in the long run that the communities would do what they needed to do to get Negan out of power so Sherry could have a normal life at long last.

Just then, they heard deafening snarls from behind them. Negan walked behind Dwight to see what the fuss was about as the Saviors started changing their aim and direction towards the road in front of Alexandria.

"That's the biggest ass herd I have ever seen!" A Savior yelled as he started running to take out as many walkers as he could with his machete.

Negan started yelling orders as Dwight's heartbeat slowed to be a calming rhythm. With the Saviors and Negan distracted with a walker herd, he knew he had a window of opportunity in the midst of the confusion.

He raised the pistol in his hand while Negan's back was turned towards the commotion and aimed it at the man he loathed more than anyone else. He pulled the trigger.

…

More sounds of distress were heard from the gates as Sherry waited for something to happen. Luckily, curiosity got the better of Anderson as he walked to the front door and opened it to check to see what the matter from afar was.

Sherry eyed Terri as she returned the gaze with caution written on her face. With that, Sherry started walking towards Anderson with the knife in hand. He kept on staring outside wondering whether he should assist in any imminent danger or stay where Negan told him to.

Sherry took fast and quiet steps towards him as his back was turned letting the adrenaline take over. She hoped beyond hope that what she was about to do would pay off so Terri and Deanna would go unharmed.

As she was a foot away from him, there was a creak in the floorboards where she stepped. In Anderson's mid-turn, she struck him near the collar bone with all of her might. The sound of flesh being cut made her want to retch with repulsion. He looked at her with surprise as she returned his gaze with equal shock at what she had just done. The room started spinning but she was determined to stay focused even if her mind kept on repeating the scene that just took place.

In another quick moment, he attempted to aim his gun at her but Sherry grabbed it the same time he started firing. She held it at the side so she was out of danger from being shot but her eardrums felt like they were going to explode from the noise being in close proximity to her. Her ears started to ring as other noises were drowned out. Her grip was tight on the gun as he gave up trying to fire at her and have a better hold on the gun so she wouldn't take it away from him.

He was clumsy in his work as a dangerous amount of blood was popping out from underneath his shirt and Sherry knew she must have hit an artery. With every heartbeat Anderson had, blood would splatter out and his shirt would get more drenched where it could no longer keep the blood from spitting around the hallway, Sherry and the gun. His strength was deteriorating but he still had some left in him and he wasn't going to give up until it was his last dying breath.

He kept on trying to push her away from the gun as he pushed her against the wall to pry it from her. Sherry held the gun with one arm as she took the hand that held her kitchen knife and started lashing at him again. She cut him over the stomach but it wasn't a strong enough cut for him to relent his hold on her.

He grunted as he tried to block every stab with his arms but still trying to hold his gun close and away from her. Her eyes were wide as she realized that she could beat him. With as much effort as he could muster, Anderson raised his knee to her stomach. She coughed as the wind got knocked out of her as he did it again with even more strength and then with her muscles relaxing, he had enough momentum to move the butt of the gun sharply to her jaw. It hit her face but she still kept her hands glued to the gun.

She made another effort of stabbing him with the knife with her other hand and she cut him on the thigh. She managed to keep the knife in his thigh and used that as leverage to push herself against the wall and to push him to the ground. The knife twisted in his thigh from the maneuver as they both tumbled to the ground.

With one strong tug, he kept the gun in his grip and threw Sherry over himself as she landed into the living room and started somersaulting out of control. But her grip on the gun was stronger than his at that point and made the gun fly into the living room as well. When she landed, her elbow collided with the coffee table as a sharp pain started forming in that spot. She shrieked and in the moment of weakness let go of the gun and it landed six feet away from where she fell on the floor.

She didn't know where her knife ended up as it was no longer in her possession but she saw the man head towards the gun. Deanna and Terri watched in horror the scene play out in front of them as they stood near the dining room unsure of what to do to help. Sherry grabbed his legs from under him to keep from taking any more steps. The man fell but started tackling her at the same time. He was trying to get his hands on her throat.

Sherry punched three times as hard as she could him in the collarbone where she stabbed it earlier as he let out a painful howl and his hold immediately crept to his wound as he quickly tried to nurse it. His other hand tried to keep Sherry at bay while he was getting weaker.

With loss of blood, he was losing recognition as to what he was supposed to do other than try and take care of himself or pass out from the exhaustion he felt. Sherry took that opportunity to crawl to the gun to have the final upper hand. She finally reached it and cocked the gun and heard noise behind her and felt the sensation of her leg being pulled.

He was now standing up on top of her as Sherry cocked the gun and pulled the trigger and kept finger on it as six shots fired to his leg, his torso, his chest, and finally in his skull. He instantly fell dead right next to her as Sherry kept on breathing shakily through her mouth. She put the gun down and just laid there as Terri was immediately at her side yelling if she was okay but Sherry couldn't even hear her over the gunfire that was being heard from outside and the thoughts in her mind.

She no longer had just a mercy kill on her list. She had killed someone with as much brutality that she had in her body. She turned to see Anderson laying right next to her. His eyes were still open as he head was turned to her. It looked as if he was staring lifelessly into her soul as Sherry looked to the bullet wounds that were in his cheek and chin. She looked down to see blood everywhere and wondered how much blood was his and how much blood belonged to her. A sob escaped as she covered her mouth and tried to crawl away from the body as fast as possible. Her entire body felt pain and ached while she moved but she needed to get out of that place and deal with her confliction that she felt inside. She felt as if she could throw up from the emotions that she was feeling inside. She tried to close herself off from feeling anything but couldn't help but feel an extreme guilt for what she just did. Even if Anderson wasn't the best person in the world, he was still following orders from Negan like everyone else did to stay alive.

She looked towards the gate and saw all of the commotion and heard many walkers. She wasn't ready to get into a life or death situation again but she knew she had to help. As if reading her mind, Terri was standing next to her with the bloodied assault rifle in hand. She handed it to Sherry as she reluctantly took it.

"Let's get to work." Terri said.

Sherry nodded and they walked quickly to the front gates.

…

Dwight looked at the gun with confusion as everyone remained preoccupied with the walkers that were heading their way. He pulled the trigger with the full intent of killing Negan on the spot despite whatever repercussions would take place. But nothing happened. He turned his direction and stared at it and then towards Rick, Daryl, Jason, and Heath.

They looked at him with shock as they all realized in that moment that gun wasn't loaded. Dwight heard Negan laugh as he walked over to him. "So you took your moment and tried to shoot one of these poor fuckers, eh?" He asked and looked to the men who stared back at him in disbelief. Negan looked back at them incredulously. "What? Did you really think I was going to kill one of you today? I'm not a fucking monster." With that, he patted Dwight on the shoulder and shouted more orders to his men.

The men looked to Dwight as Dwight stared up to the people lining the gates as they stood in amazement at the scene in front of them. They weren't staring at the walkers that the Saviors were taking care of. They all stared at Dwight. He knew they watched as he almost took his moment to end all of their misery.

"I knew you were still a good man." Jason said quietly to him.

Rick turned around to see his son as they both nodded to each other. Things were okay for the time being but they weren't out of danger just yet.

They heard gunshots inside Alexandria and Jason's face turned to dread. "I couldn't find Terri before this all happened. I think she could be in trouble. Dwight, Sherry was trying to find her." He said quickly under his breath so Dwight had to strain to hear him.

Worry took over Dwight as he looked into Alexandria wondering if she is okay. But he had to feign loyalty to Negan and pretend not to fear for her. "Go along with this." Dwight said as he kicked Jason in the face with only a small amount of force to not hurt him too much.

Daryl caught onto the façade as Negan turned to see what the matter was. The hesitation that Dwight made to shoot them still made him vulnerable as an asset to Negan. He needed to look more convincing to stay on their side for the benefit of the Saviors. Daryl barreled into Dwight as he laid a punch on his cheek.

"Daryl!" Rick reprimanded as Negan started walking their way.

"What the fuck is going on?" Negan asked. "You can't pick fights with my men. That's not how this fucking works!" As he took Daryl by the shoulders and ripped him away.

"It's over, Negan!" Rick said angrily as he stood up to stand toe to toe with the dictator. "You don't run this place anymore!"

Negan looked shocked at Rick's words and stretched his arms wide to show him the Saviors fighting off walkers. "Do you see what we are doing for your sorry ass? You really think you can survive without us?" He asked.

Rick stared Negan down even if he had several inches over his height. "Yeah. I think we can handle ourselves just fine. It's not really up for discussion. If you don't like it, you can fight us for this place." Rick said threateningly.

Dwight looked to Negan to see his reaction. Not surprisingly, he laughed at Rick's confidence and defiance. "Not up for discussion. We could kill all of you fuckers right now if I said the word!" Negan said and pointed to the gate. "And she comes with me if you guys aren't with us."

Dwight glanced at the gate to see who Negan was talking about and saw Sherry stand next to Carl looking the worst he had ever seen her. Her chin and the side of her face had either dried or fresh blood. She held her gun awkwardly with her right arm trying to carefully avoid putting too much weight on her left side.

He watched as Negan and Sherry eyed each other from both sides of the gate. They glared at each other as Negan looked as if he would try and break her neck if given the chance as she gave him a look with equal amount of hatred. Dwight didn't know what transpired with their last encounter but Sherry found freedom where Negan lost his control over her. Even in her bad shape that she was in, Sherry appeared to be stronger than she was within the walls of Sanctuary. It was the woman who Dwight remembered when he first met her.

"She stays with us." Daryl grunted a reply. Dwight was wondering why they were acting bolder than they did only a couple of minutes ago. Even with the Saviors being busy, they still had more manpower than the Alexandrians did.

Then he turned in time to see Paul Monroe walk behind Negan and quickly held a knife to his throat. Negan felt the blade on his neck and put his hands up as they could instantly see his anger at a boiling point. In that small moment, Saviors that were less busy at the back of the lines pointed their guns towards the Alexandrians and the Alexandrians from inside the gates pointed their guns towards the Saviors. Takuya and Dwight both raised their guns towards Rick and Dwight could see Sherry's gun aimed at Negan.

For several seconds he watched her and looked at her eyes. He never saw her eyes like that before. He imagined that's what his face looked like before he killed a person. It was a mixture of helplessness and malevolence. Dwight knew the switch in her brain was turned on and she was ready to kill him in that moment. And rightfully so. He knew she had only waited for an opportunity.

"Where the fuck do we go from here?" Negan asked with anger spilling out with his words as he eyed everyone with their guns up and then to Rick. They continued to stare each other down as they heard shots fire from behind the herd of walkers.

The Kingdom had finally arrived.


	16. Chapter 16

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – Final Chapter of Vessel BUT NOT the ending of the series. Follow me as an author to get the update for the 4** **th** **book titled, Cruel World. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 16 – The Final Chapter of Vessel

"Be ready to open fire." Carol said on the other side of Sherry. They all watched as Paul Monroe from Hilltop snuck behind Negan. They each held their breaths as they waited until Paul had the opportune moment. Sherry watched as his knife was drawn and ready to attack while the Saviors were distracted by the walkers surrounding them. Then after what felt like a century, Paul was able to sneak his way directly behind Negan with the knife drawn to his throat.

One by one, all the Saviors started noticing their leader was in danger as they took aim towards Alexandria. Sherry watched as Dwight instantly aimed his gun at Rick but could see the hesitation to do so but decided to keep up appearances versus the other option.

For Sherry, it almost felt like her body was moving on instinct before her mind could keep up. When more Saviors aimed their weapons towards the Alexandrians, she instantly aimed Anderson's rifle towards Negan. A thought in her head emerged as she gazed at Negan through her scope. Many memories would emerge in her thought process about her time in Sanctuary. She tried not to think about it. It only made her stomach lurch from the painful life she used to live. It wasn't even a week ago that she slept in the same bed as Negan. The hurt she felt was still very fresh like an open wound. No matter what she did, it always opened up. And as she aimed her gun at her captor, a memory slid as she played it on in her head.

 _Sherry had enough that night. Truthfully, she was fed up a long time before then but that particular night was just agony to be anywhere near Negan. He was drunk after several games at Billiard's. Once his last game was finished, he grabbed Sherry and made a big point to let everyone know what they were doing when they got home. That wasn't the first time. Sherry usually kept her head down and stayed quiet during Billiard night. The men never stopped looking at her and her friends as they were dressed in the most revealing attire._

 _This was five months after Negan demanded that they become intimate. In that time, Sherry's optimism was drained. Even after speaking to Kevin, she couldn't find enthusiasm in her life anymore. There was nothing to look forward to. She only maintained what she needed to so her family stayed alive._

 _As usual, Negan's wives sat in the corner of the bar. Sherry knew depression could almost be contagious at times because her sisters were lost in their own thoughts and said nothing. Each of their faces wore heavy and sad looks as they stared at their drinks on the small table._

 _Negan yelled another victory as he made another point that he was better than everyone else that followed him. The girls were past the point of jumping at Negan's outbursts. They were used to it by that point._

" _Christy…" Negan said in a sing-song voice as he stepped closer to the girls._

 _Christy rolled her eyes as she eyed Negan from the corner of her eye. "He makes me want to change my name completely. I hate how he sings my name." She said._

 _Sherry looked to her and felt sad that Christy expressed the need to change yet another thing about herself because Negan tainted it. Many of the girls felt they needed to identify by something else sense being with Negan. One day, Sherry found Ashlyn chopping off all of her hair in the bathroom. It took convincing but Sherry was able to make it into a nice pixie cut. Ashlyn explained that she noticed all of Negan's wives had long flowy hair and she wanted to cut her hair in hopes he would lose interest in her._

 _Out of curiosity, Sherry spoke up. "What would you change it to?" She asked._

" _My middle name is Barbara." Christy said. "It's an old fashioned name but I would take it over him singing my name any day. I hate the sound of Christy now."_

 _Sherry looked around the table as all the girls looked beyond her. She turned around in time to feel hands on her shoulders. She looked up to see Negan standing behind her. A part of her inwardly cringed as she knew he was finished with Billiard's that night._

" _You ready to take off?" Negan asked loudly. She could smell the alcohol on his breath as he held onto her shoulders tighter. It was his way of silently indicating that she had zero choice in the matter._

 _She didn't answer but looked away. She hoped that he wouldn't have been in the mood to be with any of the girls that night. Unfortunately, that rarely ever happened. And he chose her more often than not to spend the night with him._

" _Let's go." He whispered in her ear. To someone who didn't know their situation, it would have sounded like a sweet nothing a lover whispered to his special someone. Sherry knew it was more menacing and terrifying as she looked at her friends who sat next to her._

 _She stood up as he guided her towards the exit._

" _Have a good night, gentleman!" Negan yelled towards his followers. "I'm going to play some Ping Pong with this titties tonight."_

 _The men cheered as Sherry could feel her eyes stinging from embarrassment. He typically addressed his promiscuity towards the Saviors but it never made it any less humiliating. Sherry always kept her head down. But this time when Negan yelled his intentions for their night, Negan and Sherry were walking directly towards Dwight who stood by the exit door._

 _Sherry's eyes fluttered fast as tears threatened to escape. She tried not to cry. But for a few small seconds, she looked up to him and locked eyes with him. He stared at her as she could read the hurt on his face. The left side of his face was starting to become less red but his face would forever be mutilated because of what they did five months ago. Sherry blamed herself one hundred percent and knew she would always feel like shit because of it._

 _She could no longer look at him as Negan guided her out of the bar and towards his house. Her chin started to quiver as she followed him. She wondered when it was going to be easier to be by his side and had a sinking feeling that it never would be._

" _Negan," Sherry began. "Please don't make me do this. Not tonight."_

 _Negan turned his head around to look her in the eye but still headed towards the front door. "What's the matter?" He asked. "Not in the mood?"_

" _I just don't want to tonight." Sherry said quietly._

 _Negan opened the door and gently shoved her inside. Sherry closed her eyes and knew Negan wasn't going to take no for an answer. He never did._

 _The emotions that started arising in the bar, started to unleash as she began crying._

 _Negan grunted in annoyance and looked at her as if she was insane. "Fucking again?" He asked. "I thought we were getting over this." He didn't lose his grip on her hand and started guiding her up the stairs._

 _She slowed her pace only to try and make him understand. Just for once she wanted him to take pity on her. She wanted him to see her as someone who he hurt. But he never saw it that way. In his mind, he saved her from the outside world and she owed him._

 _Sherry could see Negan didn't know whether to be aroused or perturbed at her resistance as he wore a half smile. "I said my wife in every aspect. And you agreed." He said. "Now let's go before you do something you regret." With that, he gave her arm a sharp tug up the stairs. They heard a loud pop as Sherry let out a wounded whimper. He shoulder fell limp in between them as Negan let go in disgust and Sherry held it with her other arm._

" _Holy shit!" Negan said unsure of what to do. "Fuck me! That was fucking disgusting! I just popped your shoulder out of your socket! Are you okay? I really didn't fucking mean to be that rough."_

 _Sherry sat down on the stair as Negan rushed to her side. She was in a lot of pain as Negan held her cheek. "Hey. Look at me, Sherry." Negan said gently and more caring than she had ever heard his voice. It tore her apart more than she had anticipated. She looked into his eyes and immediately regretted her decision to do so. "How can I help you?" He asked._

 _Instantly, she was hit with a wave of conflict as his words continued to be sincere. In that moment, she hated him more than she ever had before. Only for a more lethal reason. The caring that he was so willing to give was something that she craved for a long time. Not particularly from him but he still gave it unabashedly. And it made her hate him because it made her care for him when she didn't want anything to do with him._

" _What do you need, Sherry?" He asked again as he stroked her hair._

 _She blinked as tears fell down her cheeks. "Um… I need to lie down." Negan didn't skip a beat and guided her to the floor next to the stairs. She laid on her back as Negan kneeled next to her._

" _What now?" He asked._

" _Pull on my arm slowly. Also put your foot on my ribs and push against." She said._

" _Has this fucking happened before?" He asked quietly as he put his foot on her torso like she asked._

 _Sherry nodded. "I got shot in my shoulder a few years ago. It was an accident. Ever since then, my shoulder sometimes dislocates." She explained._

 _Negan drew out a deep breath as he braced himself for what could happen next. "Ready?" He asked._

 _She nodded and looked up towards the ceiling to keep her mind off the pain she felt._

 _He pulled her arm slowly as she could feel the bones move under her skin. The bones grated together as they tried to find their proper placement. In then all at once, the bone started skidding to its spot and stayed. Negan let go as Sherry instantly went in fetal position from the pain going to its maximum height and then being instantly relieved. She took deep breaths as more tears fell off her face._

 _Negan crawled next to where she laid and smiled. "That was fucking gruesome." He said._

 _She sat up as he put a hand on her back. "Okay. I'm not much in the mood to fuck anymore." Negan said but kept his position next to her. "That was a fucking cock blocker that shit was." He said with small laugh._

 _With that, he took her chin in his hand and kissed her forehead. Sherry didn't want to look at him with the remaining strife she felt inside. She didn't like feeling any solidarity with him. It was an unwelcome feeling but yet it came against her better judgment._

" _Look at me." Negan whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes and shook her head in response._

" _Sherry, please look at me." He whispered again. He didn't force her. He merely asked her tenderly as she felt that she got stabbed in the heart._

 _Sherry opened her eyes and looked at him. He made a small gasp as she felt he could read her like a book. He knew he had her. Negan looked from her eyes to her mouth as he inched his face closer to hers. He held her face so she wouldn't pull away. Sherry felt betrayed by her body that she didn't even try to fight it._

 _His lips touched hers lightly and then fell heavier as Negan held her tightly. Sherry at first didn't move a muscle but felt herself relax as she closed her eyes and felt lost in the moment._

 _Sherry didn't know what was wrong with her. She was actively participating in a kiss with the person that she hated more than anyone else. But in that moment, she didn't know exactly if she hated him or not. Which made her even more confused. He single handedly ruined her life and others that she cared about. Yet she didn't break away._

 _Then reason hit her like a slap on the face as she remembered why she hated him. The image of Dwight being ironed, Dean getting beaten to death by a bat, their first time having sex, Amanda's suicide played in flashes and ended with her thinking of Dwight kissing her the same way Negan was._

 _She took a sharp breath and pulled her face away from his as she started crying again. She felt as if she betrayed everyone around her by letting herself sink into Negan's comfort that he gave. She felt like the dirtiest human being for actually consenting his touch._

" _Negan, can I please go to my house?" She asked as their foreheads touched._

 _He still held the back of her head as his thumb caressed her jawline. He almost kissed her again as Sherry hoped he wouldn't. She didn't know if she would be strong enough to say no a second time._

 _Then he let go of her. "Yeah. You can go." He said. Sherry knew he wasn't stupid. He felt her finally repay the affections for the first time in their relationship. She didn't know if he was going to let her go after finally having a breakthrough such as that but he knew to quit while he was ahead._

 _Sherry stood up and walked to the door. "Hey." He called behind her._

 _She stopped and looked at him as she waited for a response._

" _You don't have to always fight me." He said. "Like I said when you first got here. If you love me, I can take care of you."_

 _All she did was nod a reply and walked out the front door. She couldn't think any lower of herself than she did then. She hated herself. And more importantly, she hated Negan for putting her in a situation that made her close to him. They already slept together more times than she cared to count. And each time she was forced to be with him, she would feel herself slip more and more._

 _A sob escaped as she walked to her house in Sanctuary. She couldn't let him win. Yet as time moved on, he was slowly winning the battle. And she wished for a moment in time where she could end the agony once and for all._

Now they all waited as they all pointed their guns towards each other. Sherry saw all of the Alexandrians on her side of the gate ready to defend their leaders who stood defenseless in between the guns being aimed towards their general position.

Jason turned around towards the gates with his face bloodied but a small smile crept on his face at the sight of his wife, Terri, who was given a pistol that was aimed and ready. She smiled in return but was now worried for his own behalf instead of herself. Jason then looked to Sherry and nodded with gratitude in his eyes as he knew that she didn't let him down and kept her promise that she would do her best to defend what mattered the most to him.

As Sherry heard Negan mutter something to the men in his close proximity, they all heard car engines coming from the road. Truckloads of people with weapons headed their way. But as soon as Sherry started to worry that they were more Saviors, the mysterious visitors opened fire on the Saviors.

"It's the Kingdom." She heard Michonne say behind her.

Sherry saw the look of defeat on Negan's face but it soon turned to motivation. She knew he would soon act on his adrenaline to get away from his sticky situation. She also knew that she still had the perfect opportunity to take the shot that she had always wanted to take.

She thought of all the years that he had taken away from her and knew she could end it all for everyone. She wanted to give back to everyone who was hurt by him in the best way she knew how. Despite having a small ounce of caring towards him, he was someone who needed to die. Sherry had known that despite her feelings towards him. He needed to be killed.

She didn't think anymore as she pulled the trigger and a bullet started flying towards Negan. A millisecond before, Negan flung his head back to crash his head against Paul's. Sherry was unsure if she was successful in her assassination as all hell broke loose and gunfire reigned from both sides of the gate.

Sherry saw Rick, Daryl, Jason, and Heath fall to the ground to protect themselves from the destructive blasts as she grabbed Carl who stood next to her by the collar and they both ducked for better cover.

The last thing she saw on the other side of the gate before they headed for better defense was Negan on his hands and knees crawling towards the truck. She swore inwardly that she didn't kill him but knew this was only the beginning. She hoped she had another chance to finish him off.

…

Dwight watched as Negan fought his way away from Paul as everyone started to shoot at each other. He ducked down low unworried that he would get shot at from either side but wanted to stay out of danger regardless. He looked to Takuya who nodded at him in return.

He made a groan of frustration that with Negan crawling towards the truck that today wasn't the day where it all ended. He was now covered by every known Savior within the area. "Come on." He growled angrily. "Let's get him away from this place." With that, they inched towards the truck to help their least favorite person escape in order to stay on his good side.

Inside, Dwight replayed what just happened in his head. He watched as Sherry shot at Negan and he fell to the ground. He felt a sense of pride that Sherry was courageous enough to take the shot even though it didn't kill him. As they made their way towards the truck, Dwight got a closer look at Negan and saw that Sherry nicked his cheek. A two inch long slit was pouring blood as Dwight opened the truck door. Negan opened the other side more confident as Saviors reigned fire on the Alexandrians who were taking cover behind the walls.

Dwight's hopes of everything being over on that day started to dwindle away as he and Takuya got in the truck. He started it and they started to leave as he saw Saviors around them pull back.

…

"My dad!" Carl yelled. They sat next to the gate along with Carol, Michonne and a few other Alexandrians that Sherry was unsure of what their names were as she was only introduced to them once or they were once mentioned by someone that she knew. She had no time to focus on who they were but she decided to trust them regardless. They all were covered by the metal fence as shots were deafeningly close to Sherry's ear as bullets splattered on the metal frames next to her.

"Here!" Sherry yelled back to Carl to be heard above the thundering noise. She handed him her assault rifle she took from Anderson. "Toss this through the gate to Rick! Be careful!" She looked around to the other Alexandrians. "I need more guns!" She shouted desperately so the men on the other side would have something to protect themselves with.

"Dad!" Carl said trying to get Rick's attention. Sherry assumed he got it as Carl slid the gun over to the other side of the gate as carefully as possible. Carl then took his own gun and slid it under the gate.

"I have more guns for them!" Sherry heard Kevin yell next to her as he and an Alexandrian behind him produced four guns in total. She grabbed them by two and then handed them both to Carl for him to slide to them.

"Alright! They are all covered!" He said. Sherry then handed him one of the guns as she kept one for herself. She nodded to Kevin to indicate that they were good. He nodded back as he and the Alexandrian walked up the dirt mound to open fire with their own guns they had for themselves.

Sherry looked to Carl and down to her rifle in her hands. Then she looked to the gate door as it stood out in the open. "We need cover to get them back in here!" She yelled.

Gunshots splattered directly on the metal wall behind them as they both ducked down lower than they already were. After a while, she could hear the sound of someone yelling a retreat. She was unaware which side said it was but could hear less gunfire being sounded towards Alexandria. She hoped that to be a good sign as she eyed the gate opening.

Carl glanced at her knowingly as they both got up and started walking out in the open to the lock followed by other Alexandrians that cared for their leader's safety and well-being. Sherry could still spot some Saviors as they fought against the Kingdom. Carl fumbled with the locking mechanisms of the gate as she cocked her gun and started shooting. She saw the Saviors falling back and knew they were the ones who called the withdrawal as the Kingdom descended upon the area.

She spotted the four men staying close to each other taking cover by an abandoned car as they took aim at several Saviors that were surrounded and couldn't follow the order of retreat because of it. She heard Carl yell to them as she continued to fire towards the Saviors that were stuck. She shot at three until they fell to the ground either dead or wounded. She wasn't sure but didn't want to find out until they were completely rid of all the Saviors.

Once the gate was opened, Michonne walked out of Alexandria with her katana sword drawn. Sherry was taken aback by the scene in front of her as she watched Michonne fight with a weapon rarely seen and done with great agility and preciseness. She would instantly put a Savior in her sights and didn't hesitate as they tried to flee as quickly as possible.

More Alexandrians poured out of the gate to aid their leader followed by Carl and Sherry. Sherry immediately ran up to Jason and took aim at their surroundings.

"Let's get as many as we can!" Rick yelled to the people of Alexandria and the Kingdom alike. "Don't let any escape!"

Jason and Sherry nodded to each other and started walking towards the woods where many Saviors were using for cover in hopes that the Alexandrians wouldn't bother trying to look for them.

Sherry made it to the trees along with many others as they opened fire towards the Saviors who left the scene. Sherry saw one Savior and held her gun up. She took the shot and he fell. Five other Saviors fell from others as Sherry looked around to see no more threats in sight.

"We did it!" Someone yelled. Everyone else started to cheer a small victory as they slowly made their way to the gates.

"Hey!" Sherry saw Carl walk towards her with a smile. "Nice shot at Negan, by the way." He said.

She made a small smile as the feeling sunk in of how good it actually felt to shot at him. There wasn't a conflict of interest anymore. She knew it was the right choice to hate him versus the other alternative. He deserved her hate. He had earned it time and time again. "Thanks." She said finally.

"It's over!" Someone else yelled.

A cloud fell over Sherry as she knew that statement wasn't entirely accurate. "Not even close." She muttered.

…

All was silent around Alexandria except for the low rumble of thunder in the distance. Sherry trembled inside Deanna's home as she grabbed Anderson's ankles and started dragging him towards the front door. Deanna was in the house and sat on the floor next to Spencer's dead body.

The pain in Sherry's elbow lingered and increased the more she used it. She knew something was wrong but decided to focus on it later when she was finished when the task she had to do was finished. After the enthusiasm that Deanna gave Sherry, she felt it was the least she could do to help in return.

Once Sherry successfully made it to the front entryway, she watched Deanna hold Spencer's hand as she stroked his forehead with the other hand.

Sherry took a deep breath as she regained from pulling dead weight. She looked outside and saw the fire that she made earlier in the grass area near the house. She was glad she decided to move it closer to the house instead of dragging the body to the other side of Alexandria where the other Saviors were being burned.

Sherry leaned her back against the open doorway as she gazed at Deanna with concern. "I'll clean the mess up in your house once I take care of Spencer for you." She offered. The woman said nothing as she kept her gaze towards her fallen son.

"I'm sorry this happened to you." Sherry said as she picked up Anderson's ankles and started to pull.

"I wasn't able to bury my other son." Deanna said quietly. However, Sherry heard her over another thunderous roll and dropped Anderson's legs as they fell with a plop. She sat and criss crossed her legs next to Deanna and gave her every piece attention that she felt she needed so Deanna could get out what she had to say.

"My other son was killed by walkers outside the walls. I didn't hear about it until the others that went on the run with him came back." Deanna sniffled at the memory but didn't shed a tear. "I didn't want to be the last one in my family to survive. This house was once filled with happy memories but I'm unable to find joy anymore when I think about them." Silence fell over them as they separately thought of their lives when things were less complicated.

"I don't know what happened to my family." Sherry said. "I have been on my own since this whole thing started. It might not sound easy right now but after a while you make your own family. In this life, you'll always lose people you care about. But that doesn't mean you stop caring. You keep going until the end."

Sherry looked down to her lap as regret flowed throughout her entire being. "For years, I shut myself off from feeling anything. I felt it was for a good reason but being emotionless to the bad made me become numb to the good as well. I wasn't living and I wasn't fighting. I'm back now but those are years where I wish I could go back and try harder. And don't get me wrong, it's good to mourn for the things you have lost. But don't stop fighting for your family and for yourself." She reached for Deanna's hand that still held onto Spencer's.

Deanna looked to her with a tearful smile and nodded. "Thank you." She said. "You have helped this community stay strong."

"I really haven't done anything, Deanna." Sherry said. "If anything I started something that is going to leave a lot of people dead."

"This all started because of one person. He's the only one that takes that responsibility." Deanna rebuked gently then looked to her fallen son. "He's the one that did this to Spencer. And he'll pay for every life he has taken."

Deanna looked outside as it started to sprinkle rain. "Like you said. We fight now so we don't feel regret tomorrow." She looked to Sherry with a small smile and squeezed her hand.

Sherry just gazed at the woman in wonder and knew that she was strong despite the obvious grief that was in the room. She remembered Carol telling her how time moves so fast. They all had to mourn in ways that pushed the emotions aside to keep their instincts at the surface. It wasn't easy but their journey wasn't over.

Sherry hoped they didn't have to bury more people but had a sinking feeling that death was inevitable in the pivotal chapter ahead. She didn't want to face war. She wanted to run for the hills but she knew that she had to do her part to fight against the Saviors.

The thunder rolled as they sat in the entryway hearing the rain fall and the peace that came with it. Sherry didn't enjoy thunderstorms as much as she used to but allowed herself to feel the tranquility it used to give in a simpler time. She decided at that moment to give her full trust to the Alexandrians. They had her back for not handing her over to Negan like most people would have. She would give them that respect in return and not sit on the fence. No matter the cost and no matter the sacrifice, she would start fighting.

…

The rain continued to drizzle well after Sherry burned Anderson's body. It was made very clear that the Alexandrians didn't bury the kind of people that didn't deserve it. Once Sherry finished with that task, she found a shovel in Deanna's garage and walked to a designated area in Alexandria that was used as a cemetery. She continued to ignore the growing pain in her elbow and the other pains on her body as a mixture of rain and sweat dripped down her forehead as she started digging Spencer's grave.

She made a lot of progress regardless of how slow she was being but tried to hurry before she lost daylight. She wanted Deanna to bury Spencer and for him to have a funeral.

"Need help?" She heard someone say behind her. She turned around to see Jason. She frowned as she looked at his face. His nose was purple from when she head butted him and he had a new gash on his forehead that looked to be stitched up. He didn't wait for an answer and grabbed the shovel from and started digging. Sherry decided that was a good moment to take a break and sat next to the grave.

"You look like shit." Jason said as he glanced at her but went on about his business. "Has anyone fixed you up yet?" He asked.

Sherry shook her head. "I didn't want to be a bother to anyone." She said.

"You know you wouldn't be a bother. Not after what you did for us. For me." Jason said fondly.

She shrugged. "I didn't do anything." She said.

"You saved Terri from God knows what." Jason said. "I don't know what that Savior had planned to do with Deanna and my wife but I'm guessing it isn't anything good. You took charge like I knew you could. And I am indebted to you because of it."

Sherry felt awkward by the praise but felt complimented regardless. She said nothing as Jason dug a grave faster than she was.

After ten minutes of silence, Jason stood tall from his task and looked at Sherry. "Did I ever tell you that I was in the Air Force about ten years ago?"

Sherry shook her head. "No." She answered.

"I flew a Strike Eagle and served in Afghanistan. While I was there, I was able to meet miraculous people. They did what they could to fight for our country." Jason started digging again as he shook his head in disbelief. "It still hurts knowing there isn't really a country to fight for anymore. All those years deployed… Anyways, a lot of men and women went through phases where they felt inadequate. That they weren't doing enough or that they couldn't go on for one more day. I don't know exactly what you have been through. And I apologize for giving you shit about it earlier today. But you should know that you are stronger than most." He said and smiled at her.

"I'm trying to be." Sherry said weakly.

"You're still here. That counts for something." Jason said. "Thanks for keeping my wife safe today. I mean it."

Sherry took a deep breath and decide to acknowledge his gratitude instead of pushing it away. "I would do it again if I had to." She said.

"That's good to hear. You might need to." Jason said jokingly but in a grim tone. "I'll take care of the rest here. You go take care of yourself and get stitched up."

Sherry stood up and started walking away. She made it five feet and turned towards Jason once more. "Thanks for telling me what I needed to hear today." She said. "Really, I needed it."

He nodded and she walked towards Terri and Jason's house to finally be taken care of.

…

Sherry was quickly directed by a grateful Yolanda to Alexandria's infirmary where Terri tended to many other Alexandrians. Sherry almost slipped out knowing that so many people needed to be taken care of but Denise caught her and sat her on a cot.

Sherry looked around the room of wounded people and saw Sasha laying on the cot next to hers. Sasha was awake and looked to her with a smirk. "This not your day either?" She asked.

With a laugh, Sherry looked to Sasha's bruised and beaten face. "What happened to you?" She asked.

"Some Savior decided to ambush me in the tower." Sasha said. "And you?"

"Another Savior was holding Terri and Deanna hostage." Sherry answered. "So I took care of him."

After a small amount of silence Sasha finally spoke up. "So you're really on our side?" She asked.

Sherry nodded. "If you don't believe me, I have no other way to convince you."

"I believe you." Sasha said quietly. "Trust isn't one of my stronger suits."

"Understandable. It's not one of mine either." Sherry said as Terri walked over to her with her nurse bag.

"The hero of the day." Terri exclaimed. "Shirt off and lay down on the cot. We need to stitch up your back first before it gets infected." She brought over a small stool and sat it next to Sherry's cot.

Sherry lifted her shirt up but winced from the action. Terri saw the reaction and looked at her worriedly. "Uh-oh. What's that face for?" She asked.

"My elbow is hurting a bit." Sherry said as she took her shirt off and laid on her stomach with just her bra over her upper half.

"This is a moment where I wished we had X-ray's." Terri said. After Terri asked Sherry to move her elbow back and forth, she put her ear next it as she tried to listen to anything abnormal. "If it was broken, I would be able to hear something out of the ordinary and you wouldn't have been able to bury a grave for the past couple of hours. My guess is a hairline fracture. It's enough to give you pain but you can still function. Could have been worse."

Terri tended to her other wounds as Sherry laid down on her stomach. Sasha and Sherry made eye contact just before Sherry started dozing off to sleep.

"It's okay if you two want to fall asleep." Terri said as she addressed both the women. "You have both had a very long day."

Sherry took the invitation as her eyelids became heavy. Despite being stitched up, her body was relaxed and very exhausted. Throughout the entire day, she felt many emotions. There was a good amount of grief, triumph, closure, and shock. She was ready to sleep it all off and start again the next day. She felt as if the first day of a larger world would prepare her for what could happen next.

…

"Those motherfuckers!" Negan yelled as the Saviors all made it through the gate. "They chopped our balls off and made us eat them."

Negan walked to Dwight and put a hand on his shoulder. "That will be the last time they have the jump on us. We need to act soon and be methodical. They will not push another fucking step forward." He said.

"Yes sir." Dwight said tiredly. He only wanted Negan's rule to be over. Now he was unsure how long the battle would last. It could go on much longer than he anticipated.

"Every one of you fucks needs to gather around!" Negan shouted for everyone to hear. "I need to make an announcement!"

The Saviors slowly made their way around Negan. They all looked defeated and the worse for wear as they practically dragged themselves to their positions. Everyone looked to have needed a long sleep before they could properly function. Takuya stood next to Dwight as Carson found his way towards them in an equal amount of exhaustion.

"Rick Grimes." Negan started. "Is that the kind of person that you want to take orders from?"

"No!" They all shouted as Dwight felt obligated to shout it as well.

"That dumb shithead will destroy everything we have worked for. Things will no longer become easy for us. Our livelihood is at stake now. Do we have time for this kind of uprising?" Negan asked.

"No!" The Saviors said again.

"We have women and children within the wall of Sanctuary that will go hungry no thanks to him and his followers." Negan yelled. "He is a threat to our new way of life. We worked hard to build the walls around us. We have protected communities around us in exchange for food! And now those unappreciated fuckers have turned their back on us. They won't survive without us. Rick will kill everyone around him! Are we going to allow this?" He asked the Saviors!"

"No!"

"Gentlemen," Negan said as he waited for the uproar to die down. Dwight looked around and felt discouraged at the men around him. He didn't know how many people were buying into the speech but from the sound of it, there weren't too many people that stood on the fence. Negan had the Saviors eating out of his hand. "Gentlemen, we're going to war!"

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE – As always, here is a "soundtrack" of songs that I think would be great compliment to the story. Here they are!**

 **My Favourite Faded Fantasy by Damien Rice**

 **Don't Let Me Go by RAIGN**

 **Vital by Grouper**

 **White Blank Page by Mumford & Sons**

 **I'll Never Go Away by Erin McCarley**

 **Vessel by Dry the River**

 **Into the Unknown by Blackchords**

 **Paper Child by The Daydreamers**

 **Normal Song by Perfume Genius**

 **Hard to Find by The National**

 **Take it All by Ruelle**

 **Into the Fire by Erin McCarley**

 **Be on the lookout for the FOURTH installment of the Many Hearts to Tread series titled "Cruel World." If you want updates to be one of the first to read it, follow me as an author to get emails as soon as I post.**


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